As his 'Anti-Hindu' posters pop up in Gujarat, Kejriwal promises free pilgrimage to Ayodhya

The AAP has positioned itself as the main contender of the BJP in Gujarat, where Assembly elections are slated to be held soon

Hours before Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal landed in Gujarat on two-day visit for campaigning, posters of him wearing a skull cap with "anti-Hindu" messages appeared at major junctions in many cities on Saturday morning. While the ruling BJP tried to leverage it by attacking the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for being "anti Hindu", AAP chief Kejriwal promised "free pilgrimage to Lord Ram Temple in Ayodhya once its construction is completed next year."

The Delhi CM, without referring to anyone specifically, responded to the posters on Saturday evening during the 'Tiranga Yatra' in Vadodara. He said from atop a truck, "After the date of my visit was fixed, these people put up posters and hoardings against me. They can say anything against me but these people have insulted our gods in these posters. People of Gujarat will not tolerate such insulting words for our gods. They are descendants of Kansa who are insulting gods like this."

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Claiming himself to be a "religious man and a die-hard devotee of Lord Hanuman," Kejriwal said, "I was born on Krishna Janmashtami and god sent me here to finish off Kansa's descendants. They are corrupt, lumpen and goons and together we have to get rid of them."

BJP workers in Vadodara, a stronghold of the saffron party, also clashed with AAP workers and painted "Anti-Hindu Kejriwal Go Back" on the road leading to Kejriwal's 'Tiranga Yatra' venue.

Earlier in the day, addressing a gathering of tribals in Dahod district in central Gujarat, Kejriwal said, "Next year the temple of Lord Ram will be built. Since travel, food and stay are expensive, I promise you to make your visit to Ayodhya free. In Delhi, we have started a scheme... a special train for Ram Bhakts, which takes pilgrims free of cost to Ayodhya for darshan of Ramchandra ji." He also reiterated his promise of giving Rs 40 per day per cow for each non-productive cow for the "safety of gau mata."

The Delhi chief minister, accompanied by his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann, started his speech by saying that he becomes "emotional" with the kind of "love" he is receiving from the people of Gujarat. Saying "Gujarat needs a change", Kejriwal again cited a survey that he claimed had been conducted by the central Intelligence Bureau (IB), projecting that AAP would win 94-95 seats out of 182 Assembly seats.

"There is a storm of change in Gujarat and AAP is forming the government. And that's why BJP and Congress are holding midnight secret meetings to abuse Kejriwal. Both the parties are abusing Kejriwal as a thug, a terrorist in the same language. Don't fall for Congress. They are not winning even ten seats and in case they win, they will join BJP. Make sure that not a single vote goes to Congress," Kejriwal told the gathering.

The AAP chief reiterated his promises of 300 units of free electricity, Rs 3,000 monthly unemployed allowance, Rs 1,000 monthly allowance to women, free education and health, among others if his party is elected to power.

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On his second visit to Gujarat this month, the Delhi CM faced protests from BJP workers who termed him as "anti-Hindu" over a video clip showing his minister, Rajendra Pal Gautam, at a "religious conversion event" where he is purportedly seen taking an oath denouncing Hindu deities and converting to Buddhism.

State education minister and BJP leader Jitu Vaghani in a press conference said that the AAP minister had insulted Hindu deities who Gujarati people are devoted to and sought to take strict action against Gautam by sending him to jail.