AHMEDABAD: A day after a high drama in Ahmedabad over his autorickshaw ride, Delhi CM and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday hit out at BJP and opposition Congress, promising to provide a “corruption-free” government in the state if the party came to power.
He asked Gujarat Police to refuse to obey “BJP’s orders for wrong actions.”
Kejriwal responded to BJP’s claims that Narmada Bachao Andolan leader and activist Medha Patkar will be projected as AAP’s CM candidate.
“Saying that AAP is fielding Patkar as a CM candidate in Gujarat is just like saying that the BJP is going to project Sonia Gandhi as PM Modi’s successor,” he said.
Kejriwal said AAP would defeat the BJP in the upcoming Gujarat polls.
“I promise to the people of Gujarat that it will be made a corruption-free and fear-free state,” he said.He asked voters not to “waste” their votes on Congress, insisting that the party was nowhere in the race.
“There are people who don’t want BJP rule in the state and they also don’t like voting for the Congress. We have to get their votes as we are the only alternative,” said Kejriwal.
Pitching AAP as the BJP’s main rival, instead of the Congress, Kejriwal said: “The Congress is finished. Stop taking their questions. People are clear about this. Nobody cares about their questions.”
"BJP is getting defeated. They'll raise the name of Medha Patkar or someone else. Tell them the public wants to know what they did in the last 27 years and what they plan to do in the next five years," he said.
Patkar, whom the AAP had given ticket in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, has been accused by the BJP of harming the interests of Gujarati people by opposing the Narmada dam project.
"I have heard that BJP is making Sonia Gandhi its PM candidate after (Narendra) Modi ji. Dare to ask them my question. I understand that you will feel afraid (of asking it). At the next press conference, ask them that Kejriwal has alleged that you're making Sonia Gandhi Modi ji's successor and PM candidate and what do you have to say," he said.
"They did nothing in the last 27 years and have no programme for the next five years. I would like to ask the BJP why they oppose it when I say I want to provide free electricity to people in Gujarat?" Kejriwal further asked.
The AAP will contest all 182 Assembly seats in Gujarat where elections are due by December, he said.
Gujarat does not have a proper chief minister and the state is being run from Delhi, he alleged.
"Who made Vijay Rupani CM? Who made Bhupendra Patel CM? The public did not make them CM. They were made CM by Delhi (the BJP leadership). This is not how our government will run. We will do what the six crore people of Gujarat tell us to do," he said when asked about the AAP's CM candidate.
On a Congress leader alleging that the AAP government in Punjab has no money to pay salaries but it is wasting crores of rupees on advertisements in Gujarat, Kejriwal retorted that "Congress is finished", and journalists should not "bother about their questions."
Gujarat police allegedly stopping him from visiting the house of an auto rickshaw driver for dinner had nothing to do with security but was an attempt to stop him from going out in the public, he claimed.
"Nobody in the world can dare stop Kejriwal from going among the public," he added.
Before leaving for Delhi, Kejriwal exhorted Gujarat police not to do anything wrong at the BJP's behest.
"My request to Gujarat Police - I supported you on your grade pay and all other issues. We will definitely implement it after our government is formed. We are with you. There are only two months left. If BJP people tell you to do any wrong thing, then refuse, do not fear. BJP is going, Aam Aadmi Party is coming," he tweeted.
(With PTI Inputs)