New Delhi: Following his release from Tihar jail Friday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal swiftly assumed control of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) election campaign. On Saturday, after visits temples in Delhi and holding a press conference, he ended the day on a high with a roadshow through Delhi’s Mehrauli and Krishna Nagar with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann by his side.
Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on 21 March in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy. Kejriwal was granted interim bail till 1 June by the Supreme Court to campaign in the Lok Sabha polls. Delhi will vote on all seven Parliamentary seats on 25 May.
In his impassioned eight-minute speech during the roadshow, Kejriwal unleashed a barrage of criticism against the BJP, describing them as ‘dictators’.
“Many great dictators came to India, but their dictatorship did not last. The public overthrew them. Today, I am fighting against this dictatorship with all my heart, mind and wealth and have come to seek the support of 140 crore people of the country in this fight,” said Kejriwal, adding that he had “missed” the people of Delhi would always ask about their wellbeing whenever Sunita Kejriwal or Bhagwant Mann visited him in jail.
The narrow lanes the roadshow went through was adorned with AAP flags. A sea of supporters held up posters of ‘Tiger is back’ and ‘Welcome back, Kejriwal ji’, dancing and cheering for their leader. “The real election has started now as our sher has come out. BJP tried hard to keep Kejriwal away from the elections but it failed,” said 43-year-old Kamal Singh, an AAP supporter who was present at the roadshow.
Amid continuous showers of flowers on Kejriwal and Mann, the Delhi CM reminded the crowd of the work done by the AAP.
“My crime is that I built good schools, mohalla clinics and government schools for the people of Delhi. My only crime is that I provided 24-hour electricity to the people of Delhi, and I was arrested for this crime,” said Kejriwal.
Claiming his innocence, an emotional Kejriwal also recalled the time in jail when he was not allowed to take insulin for 15 days and spoke of former ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, also lodged in Tihar jail.
The roadshow also served as a campaign for INDIA bloc’s South Delhi Lok Sabha candidate, Sahiram Pahalwan, pitted against Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Ramvir Singh Bidhuri. Kejriwal and Mann passionately urged the crowd to support Pahalwan, emphasising that he’s the only one who would always be available for every citizen in South Delhi.
Also read: ‘Welcome back Kejriwal ji’ — Delhi CM hits the election trail running amid crowds of supporters
‘Tiger is back’
AAP workers had gathered in Mehrauli several hours before the start of Kejriwal’s roadshow, playing drums and waving party flags with a team of dancers performing. They raised slogans against the BJP and in support of Kejriwal — “sher aaya, sher aaya’ (tiger is here), “jail ke taale toot gaye, Kejriwal chhoot gaye” (prison locks have been broken, Kejriwal is free), “BJP ka bura haal, bahar aa gaye Kejriwal” (BJP is fearful, Kejriwal’s out).
“BJP only does politics of religion and misleads the country. They have falsely accused Kejriwal but the people of Delhi will respond to this and the Aam Aadmi Party will again form a government in Delhi,” said 30-year-old Saima, holding an AAP party flag and raising slogans along with the crowd.
Addressing the crowd before Kejriwal, Mann took a direct aim at the BJP and said that the ruling party wants to destroy AAP by putting its big leaders in jail but it will never happen because “Aam Aadmi Party is not just a party but an ideology, and ideologies never die”.
After the roadshow in Mehrauli, Kejriwal and Mann’s convoy reached Krishna Nagar in East Delhi, where Kejriwal declared that the BJP would not secure victory on 4 June, and the INDIA bloc would form the government.
Appealing to the people of Delhi to vote for the AAP, Kejriwal said that if his government is formed, he will give full statehood to Delhi. “Modi government is not coming back on 4 June, INDIA bloc will be formed and the AAP will also have representation at the Centre. The long pending demand of Delhiites will be fulfilled and we will give statehood to Delhi. God has given me 21 days. I will work 24 hours, travel across the country to end this dictatorship,” said Kejriwal.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)