New Delhi: The AAP on Tuesday launched its 'Sankalp Sabha' series of meetings under "Jail Ka Jawab, Vote Se" campaign at Trilokpuri in East Delhi Lok Sabha seat seeking support over Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest, pledging people to overthrow the "authoritarian" BJP government.
Delhi Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Gopal Rai attending the meeting said the BJP knows if Kejriwal remains outside jail, the INDIA bloc candidates will win all the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi.
Rai alleged that the corrupt were free and an honest chief minister was sent behind bars by the BJP to prevent the AAP from campaigning for the polls.
The AAP has planned to hold 200 Sankalp Sabha meetings across four Lok Sabha seats, covering 40 Assembly segments, being contested by it under a seat sharing agreement with its Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) partner Congress. The grand old party is contesting three of the remaining seven seats in Delhi.
Rai said that Kejriwal provided free electricity, water, good quality schools and health care, pilgrimage to the elderly while the seven sitting BJP MPs did nothing in last five years which was why six of them were denied tickets by their party.
Kejriwal has also promised to provide Rs 1000 monthly to women in the city, Rai said, adding this promise will also be fulfilled. "If the BJP was arrogant because of power, people have power of vote to respond back. They will answer to the arrest of Kejriwal and sending him to jail through their votes," Rai said.
AAP candidate from East Delhi Kuldeep Kumar urged people to vote for the party symbol 'broom' and said that won't tolerate arrest of Kejriwal. Rai alleged that Kejriwal was not allowed to meet his wife face to face in the jail and the BJP led government at the Centre has crossed all limits of atrocities.
"If the government continues to torture Kejriwal like this, how long will tolerate this silently. If Kejriwal has worked for the people in Delhi then it's time to stand with him. We have power of vote and we will not tolerate this humiliation and respond with voting in the elections," he said.
He appealed people to pledge by flashing their mobile phone lights and repeating "today I swear that I will make every possible effort to remove the dictatorship being carried out by the BJP government in the country and to save the Constitution and democracy".
The pledge also read that "authoritarian" Modi government has "insulted our beloved CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal" who announced free electricity, water, "excellent" education-healthcare, bus travel for women, pilgrimage for the elderly and is also providing Rs 1,000 honorarium for women in Delhi.
"We will not tolerate this insult and will respond to jail with votes on May 25," read the pledge administered by Rai. Kejriwal arrested in a money laundering case linked to now scrapped excise policy of his government is in judicial custody till April 23. He is currently lodged in Tihar jail.
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