Arvind Kejriwal, Aam Aadmi Party leader, has said that he is confident of his victory from Varanasi and that his party’s increasing popularity had left the Bharatiya Janata Party frustrated.
“In the past few days, the BJP goons have not spared even ordinary people here and have resorted to violent attacks,” he told The Hindu in an exclusive interview. “If Mr. Modi [the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate] is so confident of his victory [in the constituency], why are his goons attacking us?”
Interview: >'We have nothing but the power of truth to offer'
Mr. Kejriwal accused the BJP and the Congress of being in cahoots with each other. “They are interested only in toeing the line of >big industrialists .”
He held the two parties responsible for deflecting focus from the issues that affected the people. “In the past few days, we have only heard of >Robert Vadra [son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi] and >Adani [Gautam Adani, industrialist],” he said. “The BJP has raised such rubble on Mr. Vadra. If they are sincere, what is stopping them from filing an FIR against him in Rajasthan where they are in power?”
Mr. Kejriwal said his party was determined to defeat both Mr. Modi and [Congress vice-president] Rahul Gandhi. “Imagine what will happen if both of them lose the election against the AAP. That is how history will be created,” he said.
Asked if his party was the new Left, he said: “We are neither Left, nor Right. We are practical.”
In his speeches at small gatherings across Varanasi, Arvind Kejriwal receives applause when he teases Mr. Modi. “ 56-inch chhaati se kaam nahi chalta, kaam karne ke liye kaleja chahiye [a 56-inch chest does not work, you need guts to get work done].”
Mr. Kejriwal goes on to tell the people that if the BJP or the Congress comes to power, it will lead to a sharp increase in the cost of living. He tells them the two parties are trying to sell India to multinationals.
Click >here to read the full interview of Arvind Kejriwal
