 | « Back to article | Print this article |
Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said his party will contest all the 90 assembly seats in Haryana on its own, but the Lok Sabha polls will be fought as part of the INDIA bloc.
The Lok Sabha polls are due in April-May while the assembly elections are due in October.
"Today people only have trust in one party, which is the Aam Aadmi Party. On one side, they see Punjab, and on the other, our government in Delhi. Today Haryana is seeking a big change. In Delhi and Punjab, people made this big change earlier and now people there are happy," he said at his party's 'Badlaav Jansabha' in Haryana's Jind.
The AAP will contest all the 90 assembly seats in Haryana on its own, but the Lok Sabha polls will be fought as part of the INDIA bloc, Kejriwal said.
"AAP will contest on all 90 seats and we will form the next government in Haryana and make it the number 1 state in the country," he said.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was also present at the event.
Kejriwal said Haryana is looking for a "big change" as the people of the state are "fed up" with all the parties that have ruled here.
They have tested all the other parties and these parties have only filled their own coffers, the AAP national convener alleged.
Only the AAP can provide round-the-clock power supply and other facilities to people as it has done in Delhi and Punjab, he said.
"Can the Congress, the BJP, and the JJP do this? They cannot. Only the AAP can do this," Kejriwal said.
The Delhi chief minister said the rival parties used to say that if people get zero bills then they won't get power supply.
"There used to be seven to eight hours power cuts daily earlier in Delhi and Punjab, but now the people are getting round-the-clock power supply. In Haryana too, we will end your power cuts," Kejriwal said.
The BJP-JJP coalition is in power in Haryana and its government is led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
Targeting the BJP-led Centre, the Delhi chief minister accused it of using all its might to arrest him and said he is not scared of going to jail.
Kejriwal alleged that "they have used all its might to arrest him".
"They have left the Income Tax Department, the CBI, the ED and the Delhi Police after me," Kejriwal said.
"I am not scared of going to jail. I belong to Haryana and I want to tell them that do not try to scare a 'Haryanawala'. I am the son of Haryana. I have the blood of Haryana inside me, I am not scared of jail," he added.
It seems like the country's biggest terrorist is Kejriwal, he said.
"I am not a terrorist. These people are terrorists who have kept inflation so much high. Today, inflation is the biggest terror in every household. People are not able to meet their household expenses," Kejriwal said.
Kejriwal is "kattar imaandaar" and "kattar desh bhakt", the AAP leader asserted.
"I am Lord Ram's and Lord Hanuman's follower. With inspiration from 'Ram Rajya', we are running our administration in Delhi and Punjab. We are not here for power, but to serve," he said.
Taking on the BJP-led Centre, Kejriwal said, "Today, I want to tell them that they want to finish Kejriwal. They are targeting me... I have five demands which are of 140 crore people of this country. You fulfil my five demands, I will leave politics."
"I have not come here for politics. I have not come here to make money. I have not come here to be a minister or chief minister," he added.
Among the demands that Kejriwal spelled out during his address include setting education system right and make education equal for all.
"Do this in the entire country, Kejriwal will quit politics," he said while mentioning other demands which include ensuring good medical treatment for everyone in the country, making medical treatment free, free electricity to poor and reducing inflation.
Launching a scathing attack on the Haryana government over youths in some districts of the state recently reportedly queuing up for jobs in Israel, Kejriwal said, "We did not tell them to go to Israel."
"Youths went to Khattar sahab for jobs, but they are being send to Israel for jobs. They are sending them to war-torn Israel. Who sends youths to a war-torn place where there is no guarantee of life in such situation. Khattar sahab, are you sending our youth to die in such a situation," Kejriwal asked.
"If you cannot give jobs then resign. We will show you how to give jobs, we know how to give jobs. Mann sahab, Kejriwal and the AAP know how to give jobs, but don't send our children to Israel to die," he added.
Kejriwal said he felt very sad when he heard that youths are being send to Israel "where other nations are evacuating their citizens from there".
"And here is Chief Minister Khattar sahab, who is sending our people to die in Israel," he alleged.
Kejriwal slammed the BJP at the Centre, saying it has the biggest danger from the Aam Aadmi Party.
"They are after the AAP and me. Why they are after me? What is my fault," he asked.
He said the AAP's fault is that it wants to change the country's education, health system, provide free medicines and treatment to poor, end corruption and give free power.
"If we today start indulging in corruption like them and give some money to them then they will say Kejriwal is very good," Kejriwal said.
"Ever since we came to politics, they are after us. Today they have put maximum leaders of the AAP behind bars," he alleged.