Kejriwal says people distressed under BJP rule in Gujarat; claims AAP will win 2027 state polls

Vadodara, Jan 19 (PTI) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said the BJP has "ruined everything" and insulted all sections of society during its 30-year rule in Gujarat.

Gujarat was once the country's most prosperous state, but now farmers, youth, poor are suffering under BJP rule, he claimed while addressing AAP workers here.

"They have ruined everything and insulted every section of society in these 30 years. This fight is not a fight for power, it is a fight for Gujarat's honour, a fight for the self-respect of Gujaratis. This is not about removing one party from power and bringing another," the former Delhi chief minister said.

Before addressing the gathering, Kejriwal met kin of some of the victims of the Harni lake boat accident here on January 18, 2024 in which 12 schoolchildren and two teachers died.

"They don't care about you, they care about the contractors. As many as 12 children died, but no one received compensation, no one was punished," he claimed.

Kejriwal also alleged women from two families (connected to the tragedy) went to a meeting of the chief minister but were removed from the place by police, who two days later arrived to demolish their houses.

He said Gujarat's tribal region remains the most backward, but funds allocated for its development are being diverted for other purposes.

When AAP MLA from Scheduled Tribe-reserved Dediapada sought a reply under Right to Information Act on how much was spent on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Narmada district, it was revealed Rs 50 crore was used from state's tribal welfare fund, Kejriwal alleged.

He went on to claim that Rs 2 crore were spent on samosas, Rs 5 crore on tents, and Rs 7 crore on the stage.

Slamming the ruling dispensation, Kejriwal alleged funds meant for tribals were being stolen, and that it was keeping people under control only by instilling fear, committing atrocities, and humiliating them.

Asserting that people want change, the AAP chief said he was confident his party will dethrone the BJP in the 2027 Gujarat assembly polls.

He also attacked the Congress, the main opposition party in the state.

"The Congress is incapable of doing anything because the party's people get government contracts," Kejriwal alleged. PTI KA PD BNM