Varanasi: On ‘religious visit’, Kejriwal’s cavalcade attacked by BJP, says AAP

Party UP in-charge Sanjay Singh claimed that BJP workers attacked the AAP workers and pelted stones when Kejriwal’s cavalcade was crossing the party’s Varanasi office in Sunderpur area. Sanjay questioned the intention of BJP behind the incident.

AAP’s Purvanchal Zone convener Sanjeev Singh alleged that the BJP workers intended to harm Delhi CM. “Arvind Kejriwal was in a private vehicle that BJP workers could not identify and they pelted stones on other vehicles of the cavalcade. Around 16 AAP workers suffered injuries in the incident. A complaint has been lodged with the Lanka police station,” Sanjeev said.

BJP, too, gave a complaint at the same police station alleging that AAP activists attacked party workers. “AAP workers had thrown a national flag on the road near their party office and were walking on it. When some BJP workers, who were passing by, tried to take pictures with mobile phones, hundreds of AAP workers attacked them at the behest of Sanjay Singh and Sanjeev Singh,” alleged Piyush Vardhan Singh, BJP leader.

Sanjeev, however, denied BJP’s allegation of throwing national flag on the road.

Piyush in a statement also claimed that over a dozen BJP workers have sustained injuries and party has lodge a complaint in this regard.
Contacted, Inspector General of Police, Varanasi zone, S K Bhagat said: “Local police have been directed to lodge FIRs if AAP and BJP give their complaints”. Circle Officer Bhelupur area, Rajesh Srivastava said that complaints have been received from both AAP and BJP and FIRs were being lodged.

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal spent nearly an hour at the temple and also addressed a gathering of Ravidas’ followers. Kejriwal said he has come to Varanasi only to offer prayers and seek the blessing of the Sant Ravidas whose “teachings holds the same importance as they did around 600 years ago during the saint’s period”.

He said only education can bring equality among people and his main focus was imparting proper education in every school in Delhi for which a large number of funds was being spent by his government on education as well as health sector.

Stating that his visit was “purely religious”, the Delhi CM avoided answering questions on PM, and the ongoing Jat reservation issue and JNU row.