NEW DELHI: Upping its ante against Arvind Kejriwal for not quitting the chief minister’s post, the Delhi unit of the BJP on Sunday held a demonstration at the Connaught Place.
During the demonstration– Sharab se Sheeshmahal (From liquor to glass palace)–the BJP leaders displayed a model representing chief minister’s residence and empty liquor bottles with pictures of Kejriwal at Palika Market.
Senior Delhi BJP leaders, including state president Virendra Sachdeva, and the party’s Lok Sabha election candidates, MLAs and councillors raised slogans against Kejriwal and demanded his resignation.
Kejriwal’s arrest on March 21 by ED has sparked controversy, with the AAP leader insisting that he would continue as CM despite being in custody. He also issued two orders, and conveyed a message to legislators, from ED custody.
The BJP workers distributed anti-corruption pamphlets to people coming out of metro gates throughout the day.
The Delhi BJP chief alleged that this “palace of corruption” was built with the hard-earned money of Delhi’s taxpayers. “The journey from Sharab (alcohol) se Sheeshmahal is a testimony to how Kejriwal has plundered the people of Delhi,” Sachdeva alleged.
He alleged that Kejriwal was involved in the alcohol policy scandal to raise election funds and blatantly violated urban art regulations, municipal laws, and environmental regulations to build his palatial mansion.
“Today, the people of Delhi cannot even cut a branch of a tree in their homes, but Arvind Kejriwal axed hundreds of trees for his palace. Even the Punjab Police is now deployed in his security, while they used to say they would never take security,” Sachdeva said.
Taking a potshot at the AAP’s protest at Jantar Mantar, Sachdeva said it would have been better if AAP atoned for corruption, instead of resorting to a group fast.
BJP’s candidate from New Delhi constituency, Bansuri Swaraj, who also took part in the protest, said that the AAP is playing the drama of fake empathy, but the people of Delhi understand everything. “The people are ready to give an answer in the elections to the way Delhi’s youth are being pushed into addiction and alcohol shops are being opened,” she alleged.