Punjab leaders stand in solidarity with AAP chief

Samad Hoque

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New Delhi, March 31

Thousands of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporters from Punjab converged on Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan for the INDIA bloc’s rally, titled ‘Save Democracy’, held in response to the arrest of party supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday.

Several AAP leaders from the state also joined the rally, expressing their solidarity with Kejriwal.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann shared the stage with other Opposition leaders, emphasising the resilience of Kejriwal’s ideology. “You can arrest Kejriwal, but you cannot arrest his ideology. Where will you imprison the millions of Kejriwals born in India? Kejriwal is not just a person; he embodies an ideology… Today, the INDIA bloc stands united. But they don’t want us to stand together,” he asserted.

Suchain Singh from Patiala highlighted Kejriwal’s achievements in providing free electricity and improving the state of schools in Delhi, which have now begun to be replicated in Punjab.

Punjab minister and senior AAP leader Harjot Singh Bains accused the BJP of spreading dictatorship through the misuse of agencies, asserting that Kejriwal had been arrested in a fabricated case.

Gurinder Singh, drama director from Amritsar, criticised the BJP’s use of electoral bonds and viewed Kejriwal’s arrest as an attempt to silence their strongest critic and challenger before the elections.

Bikramjit, another member of AAP Punjab, believed that Kejriwal’s arrest would strengthen the INDIA alliance, positioning him as Prime Minister Modi’s direct challenger and making the BJP’s electoral prospects more challenging.

Among other senior AAP Punjab leaders present were Balbir Singh and Kultar Singh Sandhwan.

Show of strength

New Delhi: Many AAP workers were seen wearing yellow-coloured T-shirts with ‘Mai bhi Kejriwal’ and ‘Modi ka sabse bada dar Kejriwal’ printed on them. “Arvind Kejriwal who always talks about education, providing free electricity, free bus services for women has been sent behind the bars,” said AAP worker Kewal Singh, a resident of Taran Taran village. He was dressed up as Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann at the rally. “The rally is being organised to end dictatorship and save democracy,” said Kulwinder Singh, an AAP worker from Delhi.