‘Anger among people against BJP for sending Arvind Kejriwal to jail’

The AAP has fielded its state chief Sushil Gupta as INDIA bloc candidate from the Kurukshetra Lok Sabha constituency. The first candidate to enter the fray, he has been visiting all nine Assembly constituencies under the Kurukshetra Lok Sabha to strengthen his base. In an interview with Nitish Sharma, Gupta admitted that though Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest had affected poll preparations of the party, it had caused resentment among people against the BJP. Excerpts from the interview:

What are the major issues that you have been raising?

The ongoing farmers’ agitation is one of the major issues. Farmers have been protesting and sitting at the state borders to raise their genuine demand for MSP, but they are being treated like they don’t belong to this land. Due to unemployment, the youth are being forced to sell their land and leave the country. Many take the “dunki” route, endangering their lives. Besides these, drug addiction, corruption, crime, poor infrastructure in schools, and lack of medicines at hospitals are other issues that we have been raising.

Kurukshetra witnessed heavy jams during International Gita Mahotsav. There is a need for a ring road and infra push

What is your agenda for Kurukshetra?

Kurukshetra needs major infrastructural development. The roads are in a poor condition. The city witnessed heavy jams during the International Gita Mahotsav (IGM). There is a need for a ring road, while Ladwa requires a bypass. People in unauthorised colonies are awaiting basic facilities. We will also focus on healthcare, education and job generation. Only celebration of IGM is not enough, research work must be undertaken and the condition of religious sites should be improved.

What change is being observed in the political atmosphere after Kejriwal’s arrest?

There is anger among people against the BJP for sending Kejriwal to jail. The general public is saying that the BJP is murdering democracy as a level playing field is not being provided. There is no restriction on the BJP with regard to spending money, but leaders of opposition parties are being sent to jail and bank accounts of the Congress are being frozen. The BJP wants to deprive other parties a chance to contest.

What kind of response are you getting from the field?

There is tremendous support for the AAP. I have been visiting rural and urban areas daily and new people are joining us. There is resentment among people against the BJP and they want to teach it a lesson. We received good support during our roadshow and are confident that the support will increase as the election nears.

The AAP has been targeting the BJP for fielding Naveen Jindal. Why?

The BJP should clarify its stand on the statements that the Prime Minister and other BJP leaders used to make against Naveen Jindal during previous elections. I am telling one thing to the voters. On the one hand, they have a “mazboot” candidate, and on the other hand, the BJP has fielded a “majboor” candidate. They have to choose between the strong and the compelled.

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