With a traditional crown of flowers on his hair and with upcoming State Assembly elections on his mind, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday, entered Goa's political turf with a bunch of promises, ranging from cracking down on drug trade, eradicating corruption to safeguarding rights of the homeless.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener is in Goa on a three-day visit, during which Kejriwal is expected to address several meetings with small and medium hoteliers, fishermen, students, etc. Kejriwal is also expected to launch the Goa Dialogues and an app to help collect donations ahead of the polls.
Earlier on Tuesday, a kopel-wearing (crown of flowers) Kejriwal, who arrived in Goa on Tuesday, met delegations of fisherfolk in the port town of Vasco, 35 kms from Panaji, several of whose homes have been deemed illegal and scheduled to be demolished.
“Goa and not human beings provide a roof over the head and daily bread. No human being has the right to snatch it. A Government's job is to provide daily bread. But if it cannot, it has no right to snatch it. AAP Government will be the Government of the poor. If we form Government, we will not let anyone snatch your homes or daily bread. We will find a legal solution and will speak to the Central Government if necessary,” Kejriwal said.
The Delhi Chief Minister also accused the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party of being “neck-deep in corruption”, claiming AAP was the only option before the electorate in Goa.
“They both fool people together. Both are completely corrupt parties, who have looted the people. People know this now, earlier they did not have an option. They have it now. And in Delhi, people have seen it. It has been an year and a half and the work we had promised, we are executing them one by one, whether it is power, slums, etc. We have given pucca houses for slum dwellers,” Kejriwal said.
The Delhi Chief Minister also said that as far as the AAP's Goa focus was concerned, the two key issues confronting the State were corruption and fast dilution of its unique identity and culture.
“There are two important things in Goa. One is to eradicate corruption. BJP and Congress are neck-deep in corruption. And Goa's culture, which is slowly diminishing, needs to be saved. It is most important,” Kejriwal said.
“Drugs are there because of corruption. Someone is eating money somewhere, that is why drugs are sold. Once corruption is eradicated, we will take strong action against drugs,” Kejriwal further said that his party would win “35 seats” out of the 40 legislative Assembly seats in the 2017 polls.