Kejriwal targets BJP, Congress at first election rally

The AAP launched its Lok Sabha campaign here Sunday, with former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal launching a bitter attack on the BJP and the Congress.

Addressing thousands at a ground here, the Aam Aadmi Party leader warned that the country was headed towards another round of price rise because of what he said were the government's faulty gas pricing policies.

Kejriwal, whose family hails from Haryana, particularly targeted Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda of the Congress. Accusing Hooda of taking over land from farmers and selling them to realty companies, the AAP founder leader called the Haryana chief minister "a property dealer".

"He has sold huge quantity of land to Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi," Kejriwal said, recalling allegations he first made in October 2012.

Hooda has also sold land to major industrial houses, he said. Kejriwal said the AAP was trying to change the corruption-ridden system.

"We are with farmers and soldiers," he thundered in his 30-minute speech.  "Farmers get a compensation of Rs.10 for the loss of crops. Military personnel get paid Rs.1-2 lakh for sacrificing their lives for the nation.

But cricketers receive Rs.1 crore for winning a match! "Why don't families of soldiers who sacrifice their lives also get Rs.1 crore as compensation? This will be part of our party manifesto," said the AAP leader who was chief minister in Delhi for 49 days.

Kejriwal accused both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of colluding with industrialist Mukesh Ambani to raise gas prices. "From April 1, the new gas pricing of eight dollars will be implemented. This will result in a big price rise.

"The Aam Aadmi Party is fighting the politician-industrialists nexus," he said. Kejriwal said media houses were being forced to write against his party.

The AAP, he said, will contest all 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana and also field candidates in all 90 assembly seats in October this year. Kejriwal and party colleague Yogendra Yadav said Haryana would be the next focus state for their party after Delhi.