AAP spreads its wings, enters Rajasthan poll battle

At a massive rally, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal accuses Rajasthan CM of obstruction

| Updated: 19 June, 2023 7:52 am IST
CM Arvind Kejriwal's government is engaging in a bitter feud with Centre-appointed LG over transfer and posting of officers.

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) made a resounding entry into the Rajasthan political landscape by making huge inroads among the locals.

In a bid to further strengthen their momentum, AAP’s national convenor and Delhi Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, held a rally in Sri Ganganagar.

This was the first rally in the poll-bound state of Rajasthan and Kejriwal criticised the ruling Congress and previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rule in the state. He said misgovernance and corruption have plagued Rajasthan for decades under the rule of the Congress and the BJP.

CM Kejriwal also stated that the Congress ruled Rajasthan for 50 years and the BJP for 18 years, but they only did corruption together.

Taking a dig at political hypocrisy, Kejriwal questioned Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot’s failure to take action against the alleged corruption of former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, despite earlier branding her as corrupt.

CM Kejriwal also revealed the shocking prevalence of paper leaks in the Gehlot government, undermining the integrity of examinations and enabling the sale of exam papers for substantial sums.

Highlighting the lack of progress under BJP and Congress rule, CM Kejriwal urged voters to demand accountability from these parties and inquire about their accomplishments over the past 75 years. He also cast doubt on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a developed India in 2047, questioning the absence of a concrete plan.

CM Kejriwal also hit out at the Gehlot-led state government for trying to obstruct the AAP rally and said that the Rajasthan CM has done no work in the last five years.

“If you go outside this stadium where we are currently sitting, Ashok Gehlot has put up his hoardings. I would like to tell him that if he had actually worked in the last five years, then he would not have to do such cheap publicity over here,” he said.

“I asked someone here why Ashok Gehlot has put up such big hoardings of his and I was told that in the last five years of this government, people in such large numbers have never gathered for any event where the Rajasthan CM was present. This is just our first meeting here in the state and we have received such huge crowds that Ashok Gehlot had to do such cheap publicity,” he added.

CM Kejriwal further said that Congress workers came to the venue before the AAP rally, threw chairs around and tried to create a ruckus. “There were 15-20 people who came to our venues and started to throw around chairs. This is the act of a person who is scared,” he said.

Kejriwal said that it is only the Aam Aadmi Party-led government that knows how to provide jobs to the citizens of the country. “Today in Rajasthan, over 18.5 lakh citizens are registered as ‘unemployed’. These are people who are registered, in reality, there may be a lot more. But according to my estimates, there could be as many as 50 lakh residents who are unemployed in the state,” he added.

The Delhi CM said that the condition of government hospitals in Rajasthan was pathetic and highlighted how, in Delhi, the AAP-led government has fixed its government hospitals.

ALSO READ: Kejriwal, AAP slams BJP over dismal state of Indian Railways

“If someone falls sick in your family today, the conditions in the government hospitals of Rajasthan are pathetic. There are no doctors, no healthcare staff and no medicines,” he said.

Directly addressing women, Kejriwal implored, “If you aspire to provide quality education and employment opportunities for your children, if you love your children, only Arvind Kejriwal can fulfil those dreams. No one else can. Vote for Kejriwal.”

ALSO READ: Congress is stealing our ideas, manifesto: AAP

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann said, “I have heard from the people over here that to dissipate the energy in our gathering today, the Gehlot-led state government asked their party workers to stand here with black flags. They are not aware that such things only make us stronger.”

“In Punjab, the Akali Dal used to show us black flags at our events in Punjab earlier, and we ended up defeating them badly in the state elections. I would like to tell Gehlot that using these black flags, you cannot control the storm that is going to take over in the state in the name of Arvind Kejriwal,” he added.

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