If police is removed for one day, farmers will thrash BJP leaders in Gujarat, says Kejriwal

Surendranagar, Oct 31 (PTI) Farmers of Gujarat will drag BJP leaders out of their houses and thrash them mercilessly if police were to be removed for a day, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal claimed on Friday.

Kejriwal was speaking at a 'Kisan Mahapanchayat' in the presence of party colleague and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in Sudamada village in Surendranagar district. It was held to express support for those arrested following violence at a farmers' gathering organised by AAP neighbouring Botad district.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's "countdown" has begun in Gujarat and it will not be able to come back to power again in the next 50 years, Kejriwal added.

"Except for sending people to jail, BJP knows nothing else. In 75 years, the people of Gujarat have never seen such a cruel, tyrannical, and arrogant government. Today, farmers are very angry. These BJP people are utter cowards. They hide behind the police," said Kejriwal.

"If you remove police protection for just one day, these farmers will drag BJP leaders out of their houses and beat them mercilessly. Farmers will beat them so badly that they won't find any place to hide. Remove police for just one day and the farmers will make life hell for the BJP leaders in Gujarat," the former Delhi CM added.

The AAP head said nearly 80 farmers and AAP leaders, including Raju Karpada and Pravin Ram, were sent to jail by Botad police on charges of attempt to murder for raising issues concerning farmers.

On October 12, stones were hurled at police at a 'Kisan Mahapanchayat' organised by AAP for farmers in Botad district, prompting cops to fire teargas shells. Three policemen were injured in the violence.

Paying tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 150th birth anniversary, Kejriwal said the stalwart led similar farmers' movements against the British but they never resorted to lathi charge or sent farmers to jail.

"Sardar Patel could never have imagined that after Independence, such a corrupt, tyrannical, and oppressive BJP government would come to power in his own country. A government that would lathi-charge its own farmers, fire tear gas shells at them, file false cases against them, and send them to jail," he said.

"I am warning BJP that its countdown has begun. Congress fired bullets on farmers nearly 37 years ago. After that, it never came back to power in Gujarat. The BJP will meet the same fate and it will not be able to come to power for another 50 years," said the AAP leader.

Kejriwal also claimed Harsh Sanghavi was elevated to the post of deputy chief minister from minister of state for home as a "prize" for ordering such atrocities on farmers.

"Bhupendra Patel has now become dummy CM while Sanghavi is the super CM. This is an insult to the entire Patel community," Kejriwal added.

The AAP leader said farmers affected by recent unseasonal rains must be paid Rs 50,000 per hectare as compensation.

Speaking on the occasion, Punjab CM Mann called BJP leaders as "kaale Angrez (black Britishers).

"We didn't fight for Independence so that these black Britishers would come. They are busy looting us. They are filing cases against us. We have to get rid of this kind of slavery. You should stay united, and we will support you. Arvind Kejriwal and the entire team are with you," Mann said. PTI COR PJT BNM