Aam Aadmi Party’s national convenor Shri Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said to bring the rule of ‘One Party, One Leader’ in the country, Prime Minister Nardendra Modi is conducting the elections by putting behind bars opposition leaders the way it was done in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Russia.
Speaking at the town hall meeting with traders and industrialists in Amritsar today, Shri Arvind Kejriwal said he is seeking the support of 140 crore Indians to save the country from the dictatorship of Narendra Modi. Narendra Modi got all the opposition leaders arrested and now he is saying that come, let us contest elections, added AAP supremo.
After the townhall, Shri Arvind Kejriwal held massive road shows in Jalandhar and Ludhiana and sought public support for electing all 13 AAP candidates in Punjab to strengthen the hands of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in resolving the issues with the Centre.
Addressing industrialists and traders at the townhall in Amritsar, AAP National Convenor and Delhi CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal said, “A year ago, I went to Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Mohali in Punjab with CM Bhagwant Mann. There we held several meetings with traders in which they told us about their many problems. Many of those problems were solved and work is still going on to solve the rest. When I came among you a year ago, I did not come to ask for your votes. We came to solve your problems. Because we believe that traders and industrialists have the biggest contribution to the economy of any country.”
The AAP Supremo stated that if traders and industrialists are not happy, if their problems are not solved, then the country cannot progress further. You people are the backbone of our country’s economy. I remember once Modi ji had said that ‘aadhati’ (commission agents) and traders are ‘Dalal’ (middlemen). But they are not middlemen, they are the backbone of the country’s economy. On one side farmers and labourers grow crops. On the other side there are traders, who distribute it across the country. Industrialists process it further. You people are very important to us. May you progress and flourish.
“Earlier, we had only one MP from Punjab in the Lok Sabha. Now there was Rinku and before that there was CM Bhagwant Mann. Apart from them, no MP in the Parliament talked about the rights of Punjab. They too could have raised your voice, but they did not care about you. The AAP is your party. We are people who have emerged from among you. We know your problems, so we work on your problems. That is why a year ago I had said that I have not come to ask for votes, but to solve your problems. This time I have come to ask for your support in this Lok Sabha election,” he stated.
Shri Arvind Kejriwal mentioned, “This is important in many ways. Mohalla Clinics are being built at various places in Punjab, ‘Schools of Excellence’ are being built for children. We have just completed 2 years and a lot of work is yet to be done. It will take some time to fix the stench they have spread in 75 years. But in these 2 years, you must have become so convinced that the intentions of these people are clean. They are good people, honest people. They want to develop Punjab. There are still 3 years left. In this, we will open many more Mohalla Clinics, will repair all the schools. We will do all the work that we have promised for your water, sewer, and Wagah border. But we need your support more. You have given us 92 seats in the state assembly. Now increase our strength at the Centre and strengthen the hands of Bhagwant Mann. This will help us in solving our issues at the Centre as well.”
The AAP chief further said that the central government has stopped Punjab’s fund of about ₹9,000 crores. Out of that, ₹5,500 crores is the money under the RDF (Rural Development Fund), the money of the National Health Mission. Roads were to be built in every village with this RDF money. If these ₹5,500 crores had come, how many roads could have been built in every village. If the money of the National Health Mission had come, how many more Mohalla Clinics could have been built. These people are exercising blatant ‘Goondagardi’ (hooliganism) and dictatorship. There should not be any politics with the development and progress of the people. These people (BJP) have stalled the money that is Punjab’s right. This is not right. This is a dictatorship.
“They (BJP) are saying in a way that if you do not vote for us, we will stop your money. How can you stop the money of our country? You people made us win by giving us 92 seats. We make laws and pass them in the assembly and the governor refuses to sign them. In this way, the governor is sitting with so many bills. This is hooliganism that we will let you pass the bill only if you make us win. This is not right. They are playing with the country. They want to create a ‘one party, one nation’ system in the country, that only BJP should be in the whole country. They (BJP) believe, ‘we will not let anyone else work’. Today CM Bhagwant Mann alone is fighting the central government. If you elect 13 AAP MPs, then CM Bhagwant Mann will have 13 hands. Then these 13 people will fight the central government for your rights and your issues will be resolved quickly,” stated Shri Arvind Kejriwal.
The AAP National Convenor said they have arrested me. They say Kejriwal is corrupt. I want to ask: is the one who makes electricity free for the people corrupt, or is the one who makes electricity expensive corrupt? If I were to engage in corruption, I would not have made your electricity free. These people have embezzled all the public money, and I have spent the public money on public works. Now, you tell me, who is corrupt? No corrupt person does any work.
“The election was announced on March 16, and they arrested me on March 21. They didn’t arrest me for corruption. They were afraid that if Kejriwal campaigns against them nationwide, they will lose seats. That’s why they arrested me. Fortunately, the Supreme Court granted me bail, and now I am campaigning against them. You saw what happened in Pakistan, they put Imran Khan in jail, snatched his party and symbol and held elections. Despite that, several candidates of Imran Khan’s party won. His every candidate fought on a different election symbol. Modi ji has started doing the same in India,” said AAP chief.
Shri Arvind Kejriwal shared that in Maharashtra, PM Modi divided the NCP party into two factions, snatched their party, and seized their symbol. He split the Shiv Sena into two, snatched their party, and seized their symbol. They arrested me, Sanjay Singh, Manish Sisodia, and Satyendar Jain from our party. Then, PM Modi comes to Delhi and says, ‘Let’s contest the elections’. They arrested our four biggest leaders and then said, ‘Let’s contest the elections’. How will you contest elections like this? Jharkhand CM Shri Hemant Soren was also arrested before the elections, and then they say, ‘Let’s contest the elections’. In Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina put all the opposition leaders in jail, and then when elections were held, she won. Similarly, in Russia, Vladimir Putin either jailed or eliminated his opponents. After that, elections were held, and he got 87% of the vote.
“Do you want an India where there is only ‘one party and one leader’? Today, I am fighting against these people with all my resources and energy. But to save this country, I need the support of 140 crore Indians,” he appealed.
Shri Arvind Kejriwal mentioned, “On Sunday, Home Minister Amit Shah came to Ludhiana. He left after issuing a threat. First, he insulted the people of Punjab a lot. He left with a threat that after June 4, they will topple the Punjab government. After June 4, CM Bhagwant Mann will no longer be the Chief Minister. We have 92 seats; how will you topple us? There is a dictatorship. He is openly saying that they will break our MLAs, intimidate them, use the ED and CBI, and buy them over with money. The Home Minister of the country is openly saying that on June 4, they will topple the AAP government in Punjab and Bhagwant Mann will no more be the chief minister. I want to tell him that Punjabis are big hearted people. If you had asked nicely, they might have given you 1-2 seats. But Amit Shah Ji, do not threaten the people of Punjab. Otherwise, when Punjabis stand up, they will make it difficult for you to even enter Punjab.”
The AAP Supremo mentioned, our farmers wanted to go to Delhi during the ‘Kisan Andolan’ (Farmers’ movement). Delhi belongs to 140 crore people of the country. They (BJP) did not let the farmers go to Delhi. They put nails on the roads. They put big bulldozers; they did not let them enter Delhi. Our 750 farmers died, most of them were farmers from Punjab. They did not let you go to Delhi; this time press the button (on EVM) to drive them out of Delhi.
Referring to the recent TV interviews of the Prime Minister, the Delhi Chief Minister said Modi ji is claiming that he was not born out of his mother’s womb, but he has been brought directly on earth by God, he is an incarnation of God. A few days back, BJP spokesperson Bhagwan Jagannath is Modi ji’s bhakt (devotee). They (BJP) say that we will bring those, who have brought Lord Ram. “This time you all should destroy the arrogance of all these people,” said the AAP chief.
The AAP National Convenor said they (BJP) are repeatedly saying ‘400 paar’. “They want to end reservation in the country. Don’t let that happen,” he said.
Shri Arvind Kejriwal affirmed, “This is an election to save the country. You people have to prepare everyone to vote for the AAP. In the last 75 years, no one raised the voice of Punjab in the Lok Sabha. At present, we have a government in Punjab. When we will have our own MP and we have our own government here. Then we will work together. These people will bring projects from the Centre. We have our government here. We will implement it. In this way, work will be done together. If we get 13 seats, then our hands will be strengthened in the Centre as well and we will be able to get all those works done from the Punjab government as well. Therefore, it is very important to give all 13 seats to the AAP this time.”
Addressing the gathering at the road show in Jalandhar, Shri Arvind Kejriwal said that when I was in jail, I used to miss you all, I love you all. He said that Sardar Bhagwant Mann used to come to meet me in jail, he used to tell me that everything is going well in Punjab. My heart felt at ease then.
The National Convenor of the AAP said that you people gave us an overwhelming majority two years ago. Now 24 hours free electricity is available in Punjab, Mohalla clinics have been built where free treatment and medicines are available. More Mohalla clinics are to be built across Punjab. Now we have started the renovation of government schools in Punjab. Have you people ever seen such a government? Today, I have come to ask you something. You people gave us 92 out of 117 seats, for this I will remain indebted to you throughout my life. I am a small person, but you people gave me so much love, so much respect, I am extremely thankful for that from the bottom of my heart.
Shri Arvind Kejriwal said now these are central government elections. The central government is exercising dictatorship throughout the country. They put me in jail, tell me what grudge they have against me? Now they are saying that Kejriwal is corrupt. I made your electricity free, built Mohalla clinics, and now I am getting schools repaired and hospitals built. On the other hand, you go to any BJP rules states, electricity is expensive beyond limits. Is the one who makes electricity free a thief or the one who makes electricity expensive?
The AAP supremo said they arrested me on March 21 only after the election was announced on March 16, why? Because Shri Narendra Modi was afraid that if Kejriwal travelled across the country, the BJP’s seats would surely reduce. This is why they arrested me. And you must have heard that yesterday Shri Amit Shah came to Ludhiana and said that after June 4, he will dismiss the Aam Aadmi Party government from Punjab and remove Sardar Bhagwant Mann. How dare he challenge the 3-crore people of Punjab that he will dismiss their elected government? How dare he threatened to dismiss your elected Chief Minister? Have these people become so dictatorial? Our country will not tolerate this. They have created high-handedness in the country.
Shri Arvind Kejriwal said today, I have come here to appeal to you to give us these 13 seats, then see how only Punjab’s voice will echo in the Lok Sabha. Look at the records of the last 5-10 years, no matter how many people you sent to your Lok Sabha, no one raised your voice. You give us these 13 seats; we will raise all the issues of Punjab which are pending with the central government and find effective solutions. Another important thing is that if you make these BJP people win, then those votes will only be wasted. There is no benefit, neither in voting for the BJP, nor in voting for the Akali Dal, nor for the third party, they will come and fight with us then. So, give 13 out of 13 seats to the Aam Aadmi Party and then we will work together, he concluded.
