Fearing defeat in Gujarat, BJP trying to 'crush' AAP in name of fighting corruption, alleges Kejriwal

The BJP is rattled by the AAP's growing influence ahead of Gujarat assembly elections, Kejriwal said

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal raised the crescendo on the attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP on Sunday, charging them with attempting to crush the AAP by lodging "false" cases in the pretext of fighting corruption fearing defeat in the Gujarat elections.

Kejriwal's attack came at the first-ever national conclave of AAP's elected representatives here where he also claimed that the BJP was "not able to digest the growing popularity of the AAP in Gujarat".

Not shifting focus from Gujarat, the AAP also announced that Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha will be co-in charge of the party in the poll-bound state. He was also associated with the party's victorious campaign in Punjab where AAP won 92 out of 117 seats to form the government.

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Addressing the meeting, Kejriwal said 169 "false" cases were registered against its lawmakers in Delhi in the name of fighting against corruption but there was not a single conviction in any case. He said there have been acquittals in 135 cases.

He claimed that the BJP was rattled by the AAP's growing popularity in Gujarat ahead of the elections and now the media is being "threatened" not to invite AAP leaders for debate.

"The Prime Minister's advisor Hiren Joshi has warned several TV channel owners and their editors not to give coverage to the AAP in Gujarat, threatening them with dire consequences...Stop doing such things. If these editors share the screenshots of Joshi's messages, both the Prime Minister and his advisor will not be in a position to show their faces to the country," Kejriwal said.

Expressing confidence that AAP will form government in Gujarat, he said AAP now has 1,446 public representatives, including MLAs, councillors and panchayat members in 20 states of the country.

"These are our seeds that God has sown for us. In Delhi and Punjab, these seeds have become trees and are giving shade and fruits to the people. God had sown 27 seeds in Gujarat which are going to become trees. We will form a government in Gujarat," he said.

Referring to Prime Minister Modi's criticism against freebies, he said AAP's freebies are being criticised on the ground that providing facilities to people for free will ruin the country's economy.

"Only a dishonest person, a corrupt and a traitor will say freebies are not good for the country. If any politician says freebies will ruin the country's economy, consider his intentions are wrong," he said.

"Those who are dishonest will say freebies are bad and one should understand that such a person will waive off debts of friends and break parties by buying MLAs to retain power," he added.