Kejriwal stopped at Panipat; was to visit Assandh village

Mukesh Tandon
Tribune News Service
Panipat, November 17

The district administration on Saturday stopped Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from visiting Balpabana village in Assandh of Karnal district. Kejriwal was scheduled to visit the village to check health services there and interact with people.

The Delhi Chief Minister alleged that the state government was afraid of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and that’s why he was stopped at Panipat and not allowed to visit Assandh. He left for Delhi after staying at the Public Works Department (PWD) rest house for more than an hour.

Kejriwal, while interacting with mediapersons in the PWD rest house, said that the people of Balpabana village had visited Delhi and invited him to their village to see the condition of the government dispensary and the school there, he added.

"I have come here on the villagers’ invitation but roads have been blocked on the direction of the government," he said.

Kejriwal said, "The district administration informed us that some people have blocked roads to stop us and asked us to stay at the PWD rest house till things are sorted out". Later, the administration informed us that it was not able to remove people from the roads, he added.

Kejriwal alleged that it showed that the government was afraid of AAP. "We have been raising the issues of common people and that’s why they have stopped us and don't want us to visit Haryana," he added.

"I am an Indian, and all states are mine. When I am also a Haryanvi, why have I been stopped?" Kejriwal questioned.

"Our posters have been torn everywhere in the state in the last three to four days on the direction of the government," he alleged.

Kejriwal said that the BJP had never stopped INLD and Congress leaders or torn their posters in the state because all of them were hand-in glove to grab power by turns.

Kejriwal said, "I do not want to create a law and order problem in the state and which is why I have decided to go back to Delhi. But I will come here again". Navin Jaihind, state AAP president, was also present.

BJP leader misbehaves with Kejriwal

Gajender Saluja, former district president of the BJP and chairman of the Karnal Parliamentary Nigrani Committee, created a ruckus at the press conference of Kejriwal and also misbehaved with him. Kejriwal said that it was a security lapse. "How the local police, which was at the gate, allowed him to enter the press conference venue," he questioned but refused to lodge a criminal complaint against Saluja.

BJP leaders gather at general hospital

After getting information that the Delhi Chief Minister has arrived in Panipat city, scores of BJP leaders led by Pramod Vij, district BJP president, gathered at the general hospital opposite the PWD rest house to oppose Kejriwal. Former councillor Dushyant Bhatt, Harish Sharma; Surender Rewri, husband of MLA Rohita Rewri; Meghraj, youth district president; Devender Dutta, general secretary; and Deepak Saluja, media in charge, along with scores of BJP workers spent more than an hour at the general hospital till Kejriwal left for Delhi.