As voting for the Delhi Assembly elections is in full swing, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal attacked Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying that with BJP’s kind of politics, “21st century India will not progress”.
In an exclusive interview with India Today TV on Saturday, Arvind Kejriwal said that the BJP has talked about issues which do not address developments either in the education sector or health sector.
“They don’t want to speak on any issue. They only resort to abusing and saying that Kejriwal is a terrorist, traitor, anti-national and a Raavan. With this kind of politics, how will 21st century India will progress?” Kejriwal asked.
“Manoj Tiwari went to a Hanuman temple but I didn’t make fun of it”
Arvind Kejriwal, while recalling his interview to another TV channel a few days back, said: “I went to a TV channel, they asked me to recite Hanuman Chalisa. The BJP is now making fun of it saying that Kejriwal has desecrated the temple and Hanumanji. Even Manoj Tiwari went to a Hanuman temple but I didn’t make fun of it.”
“Ever since I have recited the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ on a TV channel, the BJP is constantly mocking me. Yesterday, I went to a Hanuman Temple. Today, BJP leaders are saying that the temple has turned impure by his visit. What kind of politics is this? God belongs to all. God blesses everyone, including those in the BJP,” Kejriwal had tweeted in Hindi.
Earlier this week, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener had said his reciting the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ has hurt leaders of the BJP.
During an election rally in Delhi on February 4, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had said, “Now Arvind Kejriwal has started reciting the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’. In coming days, you will see Owaisi reciting the same. This will certainly happen.”
Arvind Kejriwal urges Delhi women to vote
In contrast to his morning tweet where he asked women to discuss with men in their families whom they should vote for, Arvind Kejriwal, in the interview, urged women to vote in large numbers and tell their husbands whom to vote for this time.
Arvind Kejriwal drew flak on the tweet when he appealed Delhi women to vote in numbers and discuss with men whom they should vote for in the Delhi assembly elections.
It led for a twitter war with Union minister Smriti Irani who responded saying: “Aap kya mahilaon ko itna saksham nahi samjahte ki ve swayam nirdharit kar saken kise vote dena hai? (Don’t you consider women capable enough to decide on their own whom they should vote for?)””
Later in the day, Arvind Kejriwal responded to Smriti Irani and tweeted that the women of Delhi have already decided whom to vote for.
“This time, it is women who have to decide their family’s vote in Delhi,” he said in a tweet.
Delhi Assembly election’s “polarised” campaign
Home Minister Amit Shah, who spearheaded the party’s whirlwind campaign holding meetings and roadshows in about 60 constituencies, sought to focus on nationalistic, Hindutva pitch by targeting the AAP and the Congress on issues like abrogation of provisions of Article 370, Ram Temple, Triple Talaq, and protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA), in his speeches.
His trademark appeal to the voters during the meetings would be to vote for the BJP to defeat the AAP and the Congress accusing them of supporting ‘tukde-tukde’ gang and support Modi who was “safeguarding” the country.
Under sharp attack from the BJP heavyweights, both the AAP and Congress hit back accusing the party of trying to “polarise” the elections. Shah and other leaders countered the charge accusing them of practicing vote bank politics.
The party held over 5,300 rallies, public meetings, nukkad sabhas, roadshows and other campaign-related programmes during over three weeks long campaigning that began with the start of the nomination process on January 14, said party leaders.
The campaigning ended on Thursday evening with voting scheduled on February 8. The results of elections on 70 Assembly constituencies will be declared on February 11.
Inputs with India Today and ANI
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