Gujarat’s farmers, youth and women distressed: Kejriwal

Ahmedabad, Jan 18 (PTI) Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday claimed that Gujarat’s farmers, youth, women, traders and industrialists were all distressed under the present government.

He was addressing a meeting of AAP’s booth workers in Sanand near Ahmedabad.

“There was a time when Gujarat was one of the wealthiest and most prosperous states in the country, and farmers were happy. But in the last 30 years, the BJP has hollowed out Gujarat. Today, farmers, youth, women, traders and industrialists are all distressed,” he said.

The former Delhi chief minister alleged that farmers were not getting fair prices for their crops, while the education and healthcare systems had deteriorated in the state. Youth are being pushed towards alcohol addiction instead of employment,” an AAP release said, quoting him.

Kejriwal claimed that the people of Gujarat would respond in the 2027 assembly elections. “Just as AAP came to power in Delhi and Punjab, a change of power in Gujarat is certain,” he said.

He called upon AAP workers to move forward with resolve to end “goonda raj” from the land of Sardar Patel and Mahatma Gandhi, asserting that the victory of truth is certain, according to the release.

The AAP convener alleged that for the past three months, AAP workers and leaders have been sent to jail in false cases. Leaders such as Raju Karpada and Pravin Ram, who raised their voices for farmers’ rights, are still in jail, he claimed, as per the release.

Kejriwal claimed that the meeting was initially scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad’s Nikol area, but it was not allowed there. The meeting was later shifted to the Sanand area, he said. “AAP workers were not intimidated and successfully held the meeting despite all obstacles,” he said.

The meeting was attended by other AAP leaders, including Gopal Rai, Durgesh Pathak, state president Isudan Gadhvi and Visavadar MLA Gopal Italia, the release said. PTI KVM PD NR