Country is ready for AAP: Kejriwal

AAP chief slams media for concealing ‘truth’ about Modi

March 15, 2014 12:35 pm | Updated November 16, 2021 06:54 pm IST - Bangalore

Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal responds to crowds during his roadshow in Bangalore on Saturday. Photo: K. Murali Kumar

Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal responds to crowds during his roadshow in Bangalore on Saturday. Photo: K. Murali Kumar

The country is ready for the Aam Aadmi Party, its chief Arvind Kejriwal has said. In the city for his two-day rally, he told The Hindu on Saturday that Karnataka had grown tired of the BJP and the Congress, which together “looted the people.”

Mr. Kejriwal was responding to a question whether the AAP, a party with cultural roots in the north, could make an impression in south India. Will language prove a barrier? “The language of truth knows no boundaries,” he said.

The AAP leader launched his rally with a sharp critique of the media for concealing the “truth” about Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

“Does the media have the courage to reveal the truth about Gujarat,” he asked, adding that some sections of the media “lied” about Gujarat’s development story.

Flanked by the AAP’s three Bangalore candidates and party supporters wearing white caps and wielding brooms, Mr. Kejriwal said in Hindi: “There are many more truths about Modiji’s development. But which media house will show that? Isn’t it true that 60,000 small industries closed during Modiji’s regime? Isn’t it true that there is huge corruption in Gujarat even eleven years after Modiji took over? Isn’t it true that 800 farmers committed suicide during Modiji’s term?”

The rally started as a fairly subdued affair with modest attendance at Hebbal in Bangalore North, where Mr. Kejriwal campaigned for the AAP’s candidate, lawyer Babu Mathew, but gathered crowds as it made its way through Central Bangalore (where the AAP is fielding ex-Infosys director V. Balakrishnan) and Bangalore South, where women and child rights activist Nina Nayak is contesting on AAP ticket against the BJP’s Ananth Kumar and Congress candidate Nandan Nilekani.

Students and professionals, members of resident welfare association donned the AAP caps that party volunteers handed out.

The rally drew much attention, especially in Lalbagh and Jayanagar and on DVJ Road, where volunteers burst crackers and cleaned up after themselves, with their handy party prop — the jhadoo. Mr. Kejriwal stopped every few metres to shake hands with his supporters and give quick sound bytes to the tailing media.

While his rally was to go on till 7.30 pm, he called it off at around 6 p.m. when he complained of exhaustion. His last stop was at Sadshivanagar, and not the War Memorial as was earlier planned. On Sunday, Mr. Kejriwal will address a public meeting at Freedom Park at 3 pm, after a rally in Chickballapur.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.