Read Bhagavad Gita five to six times when I was in jail: Arvind Kejriwal

Panaji: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that during his time in jail, he read the Bhagavad Gita, which emphasises ‘karma yoga’ (path of selfless action), five to six times.

Kejriwal was addressing a public meeting in South Goa, where Delhi’s Leader of Opposition Atishi Marlena and Amit Palekar, who heads AAP in the coastal state, were also present.

The former Delhi chief minister said the ‘Mohalla Clinics’, or neighbourhood-level primary healthcare centres, introduced by his party across Goa, are an opportunity to serve people.

“I have read the Bhagavad Gita many a time. Last year, when I was in jail, I read it for five to six times,” Kejriwal said.

The AAP convenor was arrested in March last year by the Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy and then by the Central Bureau of Investigation in June 2024 in a corruption case tied to the policy. The Supreme Court granted him bail in September of last year.

“Gita speaks about karma yoga and service to humanity without seeking any rewards,” he said.

Kejriwal appealed to AAP volunteers to serve people through Mohalla Clinics. “You will earn ‘punya’ (virtue),” he said.

He accused the BJP-led Goa government of indulging in hooliganism and threatening citizens, and urged his partymen to be with those who are being “targeted” by the ruling party.

“If all 20 lakh people (of Goa) stand together, what can the goondas of BJP do,” he said.