New Delhi: Thousands of Aam Aadmi Party workers descended on the Ramlila Maidan here on Sunday to throw their lot behind their leader Arvind Kejriwal and lend strength to the party at the opposition INDIA bloc’s rally.
A large number of these AAP supporters came to the INDIA bloc rally wearing yellow t-shirts with “Mai bhi Kejriwal” and “Modi ka sabse bada dar Kejriwal” printed on them.
Sunita Kejriwal read out a letter written by her husband and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in jail, wherein he promised six guarantees on behalf of the Opposition’s INDIA bloc.
Top INDIA bloc leaders made speeches from the dais in solidarity with jailed leaders, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren.
The leaders urged people to vote out the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls to “save democracy and the Constitution.” Kewal Singh, a native of Taran Taran village in Punjab, came to the rally dressed as Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Kulwinder Singh, an AAP worker from Delhi said, “This rally is to end dictatorship and save democracy.” Many party workers from Punjab and Delhi reached the Ramlila ground with conch shells (shankh) and dhols.
“In our culture we blow the ‘shankh’ to keep negative energy at bay. We are blowing ‘shankh’ to keep negative people away from Arvind Kejriwal. He is someone who not only promised better things for the poor, but saw to it that they are implemented,” said a party worker Kumar Kishor.
Delhi Finance Minister Atishi told PTI, “For the first time in India’s history, a sitting chief minister has been arrested and that too just before the national (Lok Sabha) election.” Several AAP workers were seen distributing flags and t-shirts to the party supporters who raised slogans: “Arvind Kejriwal ko jail se bahar lana hai” and “Phir ek baar Kejriwal Sarkar.”
The rally saw a brief commotion when scores of party workers jumped from their designated area and came close to the press gallery, which was near the stage.
Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in connection with a money-laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.
PTI