Kejriwal says India heading towards dictatorship, Modi trying to do what Putin and Sheikh Hasina did

In Punjab, Arvind Kejriwal says PM Modi said ‘let’s contest the polls’ after jailing AAP’s top four leaders and splitting NCP and Shiv Sena.

Arvind Kejriwal said 'If we do not defeat Narendra Modi this time, we will not be able to save the country’s democracy.' (Express Photo)

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday launched an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi by comparing him with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina, who both won massive election victories after putting Opposition leaders in jail.

Kejriwal, who started his five-day Punjab tour with a meeting with traders and industrialists in Ferozepur, said, “I want to appeal to you all to save the country. The code of conduct was imposed on March 16 and I was put behind bars on March 21. Our leaders Sanjay Singh, Satyendar Jain and Manish Sisodia have also been put behind bars in false cases. After putting our four big leaders in jail, Modiji said ‘aao chunav ladte hain (let’s contest the polls)’. They divided the NCP and the Shiv Sena into two parts, snatched away their party symbols and said ‘let’s contest polls’.”

“Pakistan put Imran Khan behind bars, organised elections and Khan’s party went out of power. Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh had put all Opposition leaders behind bars and won… Vladimir Putin in Russia did the same as Hasina and won with a massive majority,” the Delhi chief minister added.

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“If we do not defeat Narendra Modi this time, we will not be able to save the country’s democracy. This country is heading towards dictatorship. We all can skip one meal a day but will not tolerate dictatorship. I have come here not for myself but for the sake of the democracy of the country. Voters have the power to save it,” he said.

Kejriwal also accused the BJP of audacity and arrogance. “They are saying ‘jo ram ko laye hain, hum unko layenge’. Are they bigger than God? God made his universe and brought us to this planet. But according to them, they are the creators of the universe and even are bigger than God. They take the general public for granted. Their arrogance needs to be broken,” the AAP chief said.

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“If they come to power for a third term, they will end reservation and what not. So I appeal to you all to strengthen the hands of Bhagwant Mann and give him 13 more hands so that we will have a voice in Parliament. We can fight for our 8,500 crore funds, which the central government has not released,” he added.

Kejriwal also targeted Governor Banwari Lal Purohit.

Talking about AAP’s performance in Punjab, Kejriwal said, “Eighty-three per cent domestic consumers are getting zero power bills and the state is progressing. We have controlled corruption and that money is being used to give free power to consumers. Good schools are being made and mohalla clinics are being made and much more.”

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Earlier, after seven industrialists or commission agents raised questions on ending the fixed electricity charges for cotton and ginning factories, reforms in land registration in the Ferozepur cantonment area and the government commission for ahrtiyas, among other issues, Kejriwal said he would have a detailed meeting with the traders, industrialists and commission agents on the issues.

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