Firing a fresh salvo at Narendra Modi, AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said his decision to enter the electoral fray from Varanasi was not a “symbolic gesture” but to defeat the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.
“Narendra Modi has announced that he will contest from Varanasi. So even I am going to Varanasi. We will ask people there on whether I should contest against Modi. If they say yes then I am ready to contest,” he said.
“I read in newspapers and websites and that this is a symbolic fight. I must tell you that we are going there not to contest elections, but to defeat Modi,” Mr. Kejriwal said.
He was speaking at a conference “Roadmap to Indian Muslims”, which was attended by AAP leaders Prashant Bhushan, Gopal Rai among others. Mr. Kejriwal invited the crowd, mostly AAP supporters from the minority community, to join him in Varanasi.
As he announced that he was going to defeat Mr. Modi, the crowd roared, “ Abhi to Sheila hari hain, Modi teri bari hain (Sheila has been defeated. Now it is Modi’s time)”
He said that all parties indulged in corrupt practises and communal politics and this was led by the BJP and the Congress.
“All parties are the same. They indulge in corruption and communal politics, but leaders of all these parties are Congress and the BJP. It is important to defeat these parties...not on the basis of numbers, but by defeating their leaders. It is important to defeat Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi.
“We have sent Kumar Vishwas to Amethi and he has been stationed there for the past three months. He is being attacked on daily basis, but he is too strong to back out,” he said.
Mr. Kejriwal added that if the BJP claims that voting for Mr. Modi would bring stability, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has given more stability.
“When I had been to Bangalore, people told me that I will eat into (BJP) votes. If Modi comes to power he will give stability. Then I said if you want stability then Dr Manmohan Singh has given maximum stability in last 10 years. People don’t want stability, they want security and justice.
“Stability will come even if there are elections in a year or two. But these parties will spread corruption and communalism in the name of stability and this is unacceptable to us,” he said.
