AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal entered the fray from high-profile Varanasi lok Sabha seat on Wednesday and accused Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi of spending a large sum of money during the ongoing elections, which, he said, is a fight for all those who dream of a corruption-free India.
The anti-graft crusader also took potshots at the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate and the Congress vice-president for travelling in choppers and asked the people to be beware of their “helicopter democracy”. The Aam Aadmi Party leader submitted his documents to the Returning Officer after a two-and-a-half-hour roadshow which was attended by the top brass of the AAP, hundreds of party volunteers and a large number of people.
Kejriwal, who led his fledgling party to a spectacular performance in the Delhi assembly polls last year, filed four sets of nomination papers. Before entering the fray from the holy city, the AAP leader held a roadshow describing the polls as a fight to “save democracy” and appealed to the people to bring a change in the political system.
“This is not my fight. This fight is for those who want to eradicate corruption. This is a fight for all those who dream of a corruption-free India,” he said. Kejriwal accused Modi, his formidable opponent in the battle for Varanasi seat, and Gandhi of spending huge sums of money on electioneering, saying the ongoing exercise is all about “eliminating corruption and ensuring inclusive growth”.
“I was told Modi is spending Rs 5,000 crore in the election. Gandhi is also spending a lot of money. You watch TV, read newspapers, see billboards, they are there and everywhere. “So much money has been spent on advertisements. This is black money. The people who are giving the money will make at least Rs 5 lakh crore if he (Modi) captures power and it will be people’s money,” the AAP leader said. Kejriwal said he did not have money power but was fighting the elections to bring a change in society.