Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal targeted NDA’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi during his maiden public rally in Gujarat on Saturday saying that the Gujarat Chief Minister’s claims on the development of his State is nothing but ‘myth’.
Kejriwal, who travelled in some parts of Gujarat since last four days termed himself ‘lucky’ not to be encountered for protesting against the Modi Government saying that he (Modi) does not allow Opposition to exist as either they (Oppositions) would be purchased, threatened or killed. Trying to strike chord with the people, he commenced his speech by paying homage to those whistle-blowers who were murdered in Gujarat.
During his road show from the AAP Gujarat headquarters in Paladi area to the venue of the public meeting, incidents of showing black flags and shouting slogans against the AAP leader were also reported. Even the police had to resort to mild lathicharge to control mob. Some people also burned his effigy.
While Kejriwal was delivering the speech, someone from the crowd pelted stone towards him. Reacting on it, he invited the persons who thrown pebble saying that he is ready to talk to him. “Is this the way to win electionIJ” he asked a question to public as if the person who pelted the stone was from the BJP.
“Governance of Modiji is considered as the best in our country. But what he couldn’t do in past one decade, my Government did in just below 50 days,” he said on how he could bring down electricity and water tariff in Delhi. He said that in the past four days, he and his party leaders were attacked four times in Gujarat, despite he being the former Chief Minister of Delhi, though for just 49 days. “If Modi couldn’t protect the former Chief Minister in his State, how he would be expected to protect six core Gujaratis,” he asked the people.
Giving credit of development to the people of Gujarat for being peaceful and hardworking, Kejriwal said that people of Gujarat want change and want freedom from the BJP as well as the Congress. Though, Kejriwal was expected to speak something new in his first ever public rally on Modi heartland but he kept on reiterating the same issues which he has been raising for the past few days including plight of Primary Health Centres (PHC), educational infrastructure, Sikh farmers’ land issue, negative agriculture growth, prevalent corruption in Gujarat etc.
Criticising land acquisition methods adopted by the Gujarat Government, Kejriwal went up to the extent that he called Modi a land dealer of leading industrialists. Admiring former BJP Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for allotting Rs 130 crore to construct the state-of-the-art super specialty hospital in earthquake-affected Bhuj in Kutch, he said that the hospital was constructed, but the Modi Government couldn’t run it and ultimately, it was given to Adani Group, now they have started a medical college there. “Is this the best governance in the countryIJ” he again asked the audience.
He also blamed Modi for not only taking Saurabh Patel, son-in-law of Ambani family in his Cabinet but also giving important portfolio like Energy and Petrochemicals to him. He also accused Modi that now Patel might become the next Chief Minister. Kejriwal said that when he asked the people of Gujarat that if they were not happy with the Modi Government, why they voted for him three times.
“It was because, there is no Opposition existing in Gujarat. On blame on him for having concealed pact with the Congress party, Kejriwal tried to explain that it was he who unearthed financial scandals of Robert Vadra and not the BJP. “We also brought out scams of Kapil Sibal and Salman Kurshid. Sheila Dikshit used to win for last 15 years, just because the BJP used to put weak candidate against her. She was defeated only after the AAP entered into the fray,” he added.