Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal came under fire on Wednesday as the rival BJP and Congress criticised him for using a “VIP convoy” despite not holding a constitutional post.

BJP and Congress leaders slammed Kejriwal’s extravagant security arrangements, questioning how he — who claims to be a “common man” — could be travelling with a convoy of luxury cars, fire brigades, ambulances, and over 100 commandos, especially since he is no longer an MLA or chief minister. His own party’s Rajya Sabha MP, Swati Maliwal, also criticised Kejriwal for his massive cavalcade, claiming it was “bigger than Donald Trump’s.” Highlighting the absence of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann from the convoy, the BJP accused Kejriwal of displaying “VIP arrogance at its peak.”

Amid an ongoing buzz over his potential entry into the Rajya Sabha, Kejriwal who is currently in Punjab to attend a 10-day Vipassana meditation course at the Dhamma Dhaja Vipassana Centre near Hoshiarpur, beginning from Wednesday. Accompanied by the cavalcade, which included more than 100 Punjab police personnel and bulletproof vehicles, the couple was escorted by a convoy, which raised the eyebrows of many. The controversy erupted over his “grand security parade” in the state, at the cost of public money, as the “lavish convoy” included ambulances and fire brigades and luxurious cars following him to the Vipassana centre.

The BJP launched a scathing attack on Kejriwal accusing him of using his 10-day Vipassana meditation retreat in Punjab as a pretext to enjoy a lavish lifestyle. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva also claimed that Kejriwal is seeking a Rajya Sabha seat after his party lost the Assembly polls in the national capital. “After losing the election, he (Kejriwal) is now looking for a Rajya Sabha seat because he is addicted to a luxurious lifestyle. Vipassana is just an excuse, the real reason for his presence in Punjab is the turmoil in the AAP’s Punjab unit,” Sachdeva said.

He also criticised the high-security arrangements for Kejriwal in Punjab. Responding to concerns over the AAP leader’s security, Sachdeva said, “What kind of threat does he have from Khalistani elements with whom he had dined and from whom his party collects money? It is a fact that the AAP has been taking funds from these anti-national elements for elections. This is nothing but a trick to loot public money.”

In a sarcastic tweet on Wednesday, Maliwal who recently accused Kejriwal of shifting priorities for power following speculations that he may enter the Upper House from Punjab asked why he was “so afraid of the people of Punjab who have given so much love”. “Kejriwal, who criticises the whole world for VIP culture, is today roaming around with a security cover bigger than Donald Trump,” she quipped.

Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa also criticised the AAP national convenor over the alleged misuse of public funds, questioning the extensive security and arrangements during his visit to Punjab. “There are cars worth more than `2 Crore, fire brigades, ambulances, and more than 100 commandos in his (Arvind Kejriwal’s) convoy for his ‘Vipassana’ What type of a common man is he?... Arvind Kejriwal is wasting Punjab’s money. His purpose is not ‘Vipassana’ but to fulfil his dream of becoming a CM... The people of Ludhiana will never let Sanjeev Arora (candidate from Ludhiana West) win,’ he said.

The Congress has also spared no words to slam Kejriwal. Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit, who contested the New Delhi seat against Kejriwal and BJP’s Parvesh Verma in the February 5 Delhi Assembly polls, accused the AAP chief of getting used to a “pompous and lavish lifestyle”.

“I have been saying for 10 years that he is greedy for power. When he used to get votes on the basis of simplicity, even then, we used to say that his simplicity was just a pretence... He has become so used to the extravagance that comes with power that he has 100 vehicles in his convoy to accompany him for a meditation retreat,” Dikshit added

Kejriwal has been practising Vipassana and has been to several places, including Jaipur, Nagpur, Dharamkot near Himachal Pradesh’s Dharamshala, and Bengaluru in the past to practice the ancient meditation system. This is the second time Kejriwal has come to Anandgarh for Vipassana meditation. Earlier, he attended a similar course at the centre from December 21 to December 30, 2023.

Kejriwal’s Punjab visit comes amid increasing speculation about his future political moves, particularly regarding his potential entry into the Rajya Sabha. The Ludhiana West by-election has gained attention after AAP’s Sanjeev Arora was nominated to contest the seat, which fell vacant following the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Gogi last month. Arora’s nomination has fueled rumors that an AAP Rajya Sabha seat could be vacated for Kejriwal if he wishes to enter the Upper House.