New Delhi, Sep 22 2024-
Former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Centre and said that the RSS should keep a tab on the BJP.
He was addressing ‘Janta ki Adalat’ at Jantar Mantar here, “I worked for ten years with honesty. People used to tell me I could have bought many bungalows being on this post for ten years, but all I have earned is your love and respect and my account is empty.”
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief hit out at the Centre, saying, “I resigned because I did not come to do corruption or to earn money. I came to change the politics of the country…”
“We were challenged to fight polls at the time of Anna movement.. and proved elections can be won on honesty,” he said while slamming the previous Congress-led UPA government as ‘ahankaari (arrogant)’.
Claiming that he was affected by the allegations of corruption, Kejriwal said, “These leaders have thick skin, they are not affected by the allegations, I am affected, I am not a leader…”
He said he would leave the CM’s bungalow in a few days. “I don’t even have a house…I have earned only love in ten years, the result of which is that I am getting calls from so many people asking me to take their house…After the Shradh period is over, at the beginning of Navratri, I will leave the house and come and stay at the house of one of you…”
He also slammed the BJP for using the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) toughest laws against him and his party members but praised the Supreme Court for granting bail, exposing the alleged “fake” case. He stated, “PM Modi used ED’s strongest law, but the Supreme Court has given bail to everyone because the case was fake.”
The former Delhi CM also posed a series of direct questions to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, raising concerns about the BJP’s current practices under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. Kejriwal challenged the RSS, saying that it often “claims to be nationalist and patriotic”, and should reflect on the state of democracy in the country.
Kejriwal questioned whether the methods being employed by Prime Minister Modi — offering inducements or using the fear of ED (Enforcement Directorate) and CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) to break opposition parties and topple governments — were in the best interest of the nation. He asked RSS chief Bhagwat, “Do you not agree that this is harmful to Indian democracy?”
Further Kejriwal pointed out that PM Modi has welcomed some of the most corrupt leaders into the BJP, leaders whom both he and Home Minister Amit Shah had previously labelled corrupt. “Did you ever imagine this kind of BJP? Do you agree with this kind of politics?” he asked Bhagwat.
Kejriwal noted that the BJP was born from the RSS and that it is often said to be the RSS’ responsibility to ensure BJP remains on the right path. He questioned whether Bhagwat agreed with the current direction of the BJP and asked, “Have you ever told Modi Ji not to engage in such actions?”
During the election period, BJP President J.P. Nadda remarked that the BJP no longer needs the RSS. Addressing this, Kejriwal remarked, “The RSS is mother to BJP to a child”, and asked, “Has the child grown so big that it’s now showing eyes to its mother? When Nadda Ji said this, did it not hurt you? Shouldn’t every RSS worker be saddened by this?”
Kejriwal further highlighted the rule created by the BJP and RSS, which mandated retirement for any leader over the age of 75. This rule led to the retirement of senior leaders like L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. Now, according to Kejriwal, Amit Shah has indicated that this rule will not apply to PM Modi. “Do you agree that the rule which applied to Advani Ji should not apply to Modi Ji?” Kejriwal asked.
In a passionate defence of Manish Sisodia, Kejriwal hailed him as a reformer who transformed Delhi’s education system, providing quality education even to the sons of rickshaw pullers. Mentioning Sisodia’s two-year imprisonment, Kejriwal argued, “That was not Manish Sisodia’s loss; it was the country’s loss. If not for this fake conspiracy, he would have built many more schools in the national capital.”
Kejriwal reflected on the symbolism of the Aam Aadmi Party’s broom, stating that it represents not just an election symbol, but faith in honesty. “People, before pressing this button in elections, think they are voting for honesty.” (Agency)
