Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal was briefly stopped from traveling in an auto rickshaw in Ahmedabad, citing security protocol. He was on his way to an auto driver’s home to have lunch late on Monday evening. After a heated verbal exchange between Kejriwal and the police, the Delhi chief minister was allowed to travel to his destination in the auto, escorted by the police.
Earlier in the day, Kejriwal had accepted the request of the auto-rickshaw driver Vikram Dantani to have dinner at latter’s house during a town hall organised specifically to address auto drivers’ concerns.
Dantani mentioned Kejriwal’s dinner with an auto driver in Punjab during the Assembly polls and wanted to know if the Aam Aadmi Party chief would do the same in Gujarat. The Delhi CM responded in affirmative, and the dinner was fixed for 8 pm.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, however, mocked it, calling it a “scripted drama”.
At about 7.30 pm, Kejriwal left from his hotel, along with party colleagues Gujarat AAP president Gopal Italiya, Isuda Gadhvi, among others in Dantani’s auto to his residence Ghatlodia.
Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel is an MLA from Ghatlodia constituency, which is also a BJP stronghold.
On his way, however, a police team that was part of Kejriwal’s security objected to him traveling in the auto-rickshaw which was against the chief minister’s security protocol. Video clips released by AAP showed Kejriwal shouting at the policeman, saying: “People are fed up with your leaders. We don’t want your security but you are forcing us to take. I don’t want it and you have detained us. You give your security to your ministers...You are arresting me...”
After the brief exchange, Kejriwal was allowed to travel in the auto-rickshaw escorted by police teams.
After dinner, Kejriwal tweeted: “In Ahmedabad, auto driver Vikrabhai Dantani lovingly brought us home for dinner, introduced to his whole family and treated with delicious food and respect. Heartfelt thanks to Vikrambhai and all the auto driver brothers of Gujarat this immense affection.”
Earlier in the day, Kejriwal addressed autorickshaw drivers, a group of businessmen and advocates in three different town halls held in different parts of Ahmedabad.
Kejriwal, while taking on the state government over corruption and inflation among other issues, reiterated that he would continue to give “free revadi” to people. Without naming anyone in particular, Kejriwal said, “What kind of Hindus are those who question free health care?”
“In Hinduism,” Kejriwal said, “taking care of sick people is a pious thing.”