Kumar Vishwas, Aam Aadmi Party's Amethi candidate for the Lok Sabha elections, on Tuesday alleged that the Uttar Pradesh Government was creating hurdles in his ongoing "Jhadu Yatra," at the behest of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
Mr. Viswas, who is pitted against Mr. Gandhi in Amethi, recently intensified his campaign with the launch of the 42-day yatra in a bid to connect with voters through door-to-door interaction across 1,200 villages in the constituency.
"Earlier, Congressmen along with Samajwadi Party, showed eggs and lathis to me but when I did not leave Amethi, the State Government, at the behest of Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi, is now creating hurdles in my yatra through the district administration," the poet-turned-politician said.
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While alleging that the district administration had stooped to "goondagardi," after officials allegedly confiscated the national flag from AAP workers during the yatra, Mr.Vishwas said he was not one to be perturbed. "I will not leave Amethi without chasing away the corrupt," he said.
The district administration has warned Mr. Vishwas against using the national flag in its campaign, but the AAP leader is adamant.
Mr. Vishwas, who is fighting the elections on the issue of "development," has promised that if elected, he will focus on the reopening of closed factories in the rural constituency and start direct trains to Allahabad. He has slammed Mr. Gandhi for the lack of development in Amethi.
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Mr. Gandhi, however, has chosen to blame the SP for the lack of development in the constituency. On Tuesday, his mother and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, during a visit to her constituency Rae Bareli, also slammed the Samajwadi Party for the lack of development in the State despite sufficient funds being made available by the Centre.
The "State Government should also take some responsibility," for the development work, she told reporters after her surprise visit to Binohara village in Rahi block on the last day of her two-day visit to her constituency.