Kejriwal under fire over massive convoy for meditation retreat

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal's Vipassana trip to Punjab under a massive security cover has evoked sharp criticism from leaders of all opposition parties.

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Kejriwal had arrived in Hoshiarpur in a huge security convoy on Tuesday evening — the video of which went viral on Wednesday morning. Though this was his second visit to Hoshiarpur's meditation centre, it was his first tour since he lost Vidhan Sabha elections in the national capital. The 10-day Vipassana schedule of Kejriwal and his wife at Dhamma Dhaja, situated on the foothills of Shivalik range, was to start this morning.

Opposition leaders posted the videos of Kejriwal's convoy that included 20-plus vehicles other than a fire brigade and ambulance on their social media pages. Congress MLA from Jalandhar Cantt Pargat Singh reacted to high security provisions for the former Delhi CM saying, “Vipassana is for peace and relaxation of mind. What is the idea behind Kejriwal's high decibel entry to Punjab? A leader who used to boast that he was still using his WagonR is misusing the resources of Punjab. It is because of such leaders that the people have lost faith in politicians.”

SAD spokesperson Daljeet Singh Cheema also took a swipe against Kejriwal, asking, “What kind of Vipassana is it? Why is the entire Punjab administration on duty for a man having no constitutional post now?”

Not just the leaders of Punjab, even those from Delhi shared the videos. Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal wrote on X, “The man who used to criticise VIP culture is now moving with a bigger cover than that of even US President Donald Trump.”

Delhi BJP minister Manjinder S Sirsa, too, posted a video on his social media pages and said, “What kind of peace is Kejriwal looking for at the Vipassana centre where he reached in a huge convoy of luxury cars? Over 100 commandos were deployed to guard him. He has got so much used to the VIP culture that perhaps he cannot even meditate without all such paraphernalia around him.”