Many within BJP want to see its defeat in Gujarat: Kejriwal

He said that those opposing “free welfare schemes” are worried because “then there will be nothing left to loot”.

The AAP supremo said he has been assigned by Lord Krishna to “defeat the children of Kans”. “I am a devotee of Hanuman. I was born on the day of Krishna Janmashtami. My grandmother (dadi) used to affectionately call me ‘Krishna’. My childhood name was “Krishna” at home. I have his blessings and he has assigned me this special task to defeat these children of Kans, these demons–the modern-day demons. I need your support to help me in defeating these demons,” Kejriwal said in Dharampur, a day after the BJP called him an anti-Hindu.

Commenting on the controversial posters that came up across Gujarat Saturday, Kejriwal said, “They have written against God, I felt bad. I know they hate me, they can say whatever they want about me. But, at least, they should spare God. Who insults God? Those who insult God are demons. They are children of ‘Kans’. Earlier, demons used to enter anywhere, used to bully people, trouble women, rape them… What are these people doing, they are bullying everyone, troubling women, and beating up people, these are demons, the children of ‘Kans’.”

He also reiterated his promises of good education, roads, zero electricity bills, free medical treatment and 10 lakh new government jobs.

Kejriwal assured that the farmers would get full payment for their crops. “If their crops do not get sold at the market, the government will buy the crops at the minimum support price (MSP). We will first begin with five crops–wheat, rice, chana (gram), groundnut and cotton. We have done the same in Punjab with wheat, rice, gram, narma (cotton) and moong dal. Gradually, we will include other crops as well,” he said.

He also said that if voted to power, the AAP government would also solve the issue of power supply by ensuring 12 hours of power supply to farmers during the day. “By taking Narmada water to each and every corner of the state, we will also solve the problem of irrigation in the state. In Delhi, and now even in Punjab, automatic compensation, at the rate of Rs 50,000 per hectare, is given to the farmers in the case of crop failure. The same scheme will be applied in Gujarat as well,” the Delhi CM, who was accompanied by his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann, said.

Kejriwal also repeated his promises on bringing provisions of the Panchayat Extension to the Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution in the tribal areas.

Later in the day, addressing media persons at Surat airport, Kejriwal said, “We have come to know that big-shot leaders of the Congress are not coming to Gujarat for campaigning. This shows a good understanding between them (BJP and Congress). When we say we will give good schools to the children of Gujarat, they don’t like it and they don’t want Gujarat students to get a good education. But BJP leaders go to Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal and say they would give free power. The same people say that the people of Gujarat should not get free power.”

Punjab CM Mann said, “We speak about good health, good education, good infrastructure and free power but they talk about dividing the society and doing dirty politics. Earlier, the people of Gujarat had no option and this time they have got a good option in the EVM.”

Kejriwal and Mann visited a Hanuman temple in Kadodara, around 17 kilometres from Surat city, before addressing a public meeting at the village where the Delhi CM reiterated his promise of free Ayodhya temple visits to the people of Gujarat. “I assure you that I will send you free of cost for a holy pilgrimage at Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya next year.”

All recruitment exams in Gujarat will be conducted and jobs will be allotted by December 2023, Kejriwal said. He also assured to eradicate corruption if voted to power in Gujarat.

Addressing the gathering, Mann said, “When we visited different parts of Gujarat, people said, “we don’t cast vote, yet they get elected”. If we give votes to the Congress, their MLAs will be sold off. They don’t have any other option left. I told them that God has sent a broom to remove the lotus from sludge like we have done in Delhi and Punjab. These brooms were earlier used to clean shops and houses. Now, it will be used to clean the entire country of corruption.”