Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on May 11 said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left no stone unturned to crush the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) by sending its top leaders to jail.
"PM Modi sent four top leaders of our party to jail and thought the party will not survive. No party has been harassed to this extent in 75 years. This is clear dictatorship," he said in his first address a day after walking out of Tihar jail. The Supreme Court granted interim bail to Kejriwal till June 1 for Lok Sabha election campaigning.
Before taking his seat on the stage, the AAP leader greeted his supporters by blowing flying kiss and waving at them.
Beginning his speech with 'Bharat Mata ki jai', the AAP convener said that it is because of Lord Hanuman's blessings upon him that he walked out of the jail after 50 days. Kejriwal was arrested in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case on March 21.
"I am coming straight from jail to you. It feels great to be with you after 50 days. I just went to Hanuman temple with my wife and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann. Bajrang Bali's blessings are on me and the Aam Aadmi Party. It is by his grace that I am standing here today." he said.
Prior to his address, Kejriwal, along with his wife Sunita and Punjab counterpart, offered prayers at the Hanuman temple in Connaught Place. On Friday, the chief minister thanked Lord Hanuman as he stepped out of Tihar jail and sought support of the 140 crore people in his fight against dictatorship.
Taking a dig at PM Modi, the Delhi CM said all the thieves are present in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He added that the Prime Minister should learn how to fight corruption from him.
"The Prime Minister is saying that he is fighting corruption but all the thieves are in his party. I want to say to PM Modi that If you want to fight corruption then learn from Kejriwal. After the formation of the government in Delhi, I myself dismissed one of my ministers and sent him to jail. In Punjab, we sent a minister to jail. You include all the thieves in your party and send Kejriwal to jail, this is not a fight against corruption," he added.
The Delhi CM claimed that after June 4 (Lok Sabha election results), INDIA bloc will form its government at the Centre.
"The NDA government won't be successful in forming its government after June 4. Their seats are decreasing everywhere - in Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, West Bengal and Jharkhand. It is also being speculated that they will secure 220-230 seats. INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) government will be formed at the centre. AAP will be a part of it, and we will give Delhi the status of complete statehood. LG of Delhi will belong to the people of Delhi, the current LG has just come from Gujarat," Kejriwal said.
Kejriwal charged that the Prime Minister is asking for votes for Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
"These people ask INDIA bloc about their face. I ask BJP who will be their PM? Next year, Modi ji is turning 75 on September 17. He had made the rule that people aged 75 will be retired. They retired LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Sumitra Mahajan," he said.
"PM Modi will retire next year. He is seeking votes for making Amit Shah the prime minister. Will Shah fulfill Modi ji's guarantee?" he asked the gathering.
Sharpening his attack on PM Modi, the AAP leader said that all opposition leaders including the chief ministers of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu - Mamata Banerjee and MK Stalin - will be sent to jail if the NDA returns to power.
"Former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, ministers of Mamata Banerjee's party are in jail. If they win again, then Mamata Banerjee, MK Stalin, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and other opposition leaders will all be behind bars," he said.
Kejriwal warned that PM Modi will soon end the political career of Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath.
"Political careers of LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Vasundhara Raje, ML Khattar, Raman Singh have been finished. Next is Yogi Adityanath. If they (BJP) win this election, they will change the CM of Uttar Pradesh within 2 months," he claimed adding that the Prime Minister has started a "one nation, one leader" mission.
The AAP convener is scheduled to hold two roadshows in south Delhi and east Delhi parliamentary constituencies.
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