New Delhi [India], June 15 (ANI): In a fiery address at a packed ‘jan sabha’ (public meeting) in Kalasari village, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal declared that the people of Visavadar will once again reject the BJP and deliver a stinging rebuke in the upcoming by-election.
Rallying support for AAP candidate Gopal Italia, the AAP Chief reminded the crowd that Visavadar has not elected the BJP in the last 20 years–and won’t do so this time either. He also dismissed the Congress as irrelevant, calling it “a party sitting in BJP’s lap.”
The show of strength was backed by senior AAP leaders, including Gujarat Prabhari Gopal Rai and state president Isudan Gadhvi.
During a ‘jansabha’ in Visavadar, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal stated, “Election is on the 19th–only three days are left. I’ve come here all the way from Delhi to salute the people of Visavadar because for the last 30 years, Gujarat has been ruled by the BJP, yet for the past 20 years, BJP has not been able to win from Visavadar. You’ve resisted all odds–the entire machinery of BJP, their unlimited money, their strength–and you’ve stood firm. For two decades, you’ve withstood their pressure and kept them out. That is no ordinary achievement.”
Highlighting the courage and defiance of the people of Visavadar, Arvind Kejriwal said, “You’ve stood your ground in Gujarat, in a state where BJP is known to crush all opposition. Yet, for 20 long years, you’ve bravely resisted, you’ve continued to challenge them, and refused to bow down to their power. That spirit deserves national admiration.”
Pointing to BJP’s deceptive tactics, he said, “But now BJP has resorted to cheating. Five years ago, they stole Harshad Ribadia. When you voted for the Aam Aadmi Party and elected Bhupat Bhayani, they stole him too. Now, they’ve stopped pretending altogether. Today, BJP openly says–vote for whoever you like, we’ll steal your elected MLA anyway.”
Recalling conversations with local residents, Arvind Kejriwal shared, “People from Visavadar came to meet me. I meet people from across India, but what these residents said moved me. They told me, ‘Sir, we hate BJP. We will never vote for BJP. But we are helpless–whomever we vote for ends up with them eventually.’ And so, we thought deeply–me and my team–and decided to give you our strongest hero, our fiercest fighter, Gopal Italia.”
Introducing the AAP candidate, Arvind Kejriwal said, “We’ve given you someone who simply cannot be bought. The sun may rise from the west, but no one in this world can buy Gopal Italia. Such a person does not exist. I say this with full confidence. Gopal Italia is incorruptible. So this time, vote fearlessly and elect Gopal Italia with a huge majority. He will never break. He is an honest man. He comes from a humble, poor family. He has a young daughter. He lives in a modest one-room house–I’ve been to his home. He had once secured a job in the police force, which is not easy to get.”
Describing Gopal Italia’s decision to give up his government job, Arvind Kejriwal said, “Everyone dreams of getting a police job–for themselves, their son, their brother. He had that opportunity, but he gave it up. He kicked that job away to serve society. And not just any job–this was a job where people earn hefty amounts. There’s no dearth of money in the police force. Had he wanted, he could have made plenty. But he gave it all up to serve the people. You can imagine how honest this man must be–he didn’t even let a police job keep him back. Since the day he joined the Aam Aadmi Party, they have tried everything–offered him Rs 5 crore, Rs 10 crore, Rs 20 crore–to break him. But Gopal Italia did not sell out. He did not break.”
Addressing the stakes of this election, the AAP Supremo said, “Today, this man–your brother, your son–is standing in the election. And the entire BJP has come down to defeat him. All their ministers, all their chairpersons, all their MLAs–they’ve all arrived. The entire state machinery, police, administration, land mafia, education mafia, sand mafia–every mafia is being deployed against Gopal Italia. It’s your responsibility to ensure he wins. If you help him win, it will be your victory. But if he loses, you will lose too.”
Drawing from the Mahabharat to inspire the people, Arvind Kejriwal said, “Do you remember the beginning of the Mahabharat? Both Duryodhan and Arjun went to Lord Krishna to seek his support. Lord Krishna was asleep. Duryodhan sat near his head, Arjun near his feet. When Krishna woke, he saw Arjun first and asked what he wanted. Duryodhan got angry–he said, ‘But I came first!’ Krishna said, ‘Yes, I see you were here too. So let me offer both of you a choice. I have two things–my Narayani Sena (army) and myself. You can each pick one.’ Duryodhan chose the army. Arjun folded his hands and said, ‘I only want you, Lord.’ And Krishna stood with Arjun.”
Using the analogy, the AAP Supremo said, “Today, BJP has everything–money, police, power, state machinery, mafias, and entire armies. But we have God on our side. And that is all we need. Their system is big, but Gopal Italia will not fear it. He will raise your issues–issues of the poor, of farmers, of workers. I have full faith that Gopal Italia will not just represent Visavadar–he will become the voice of the poor, the farmers, the labourers across Gujarat. And inside the Assembly, he will raise your voice without fear.”
Recalling a beloved leader of the region, Arvind Kejriwal said, “You all remember Kesu Baba. He was known across Visavadar for fighting for farmers. He struggled immensely for your rights. Today, when I see Gopal Italia, I am reminded of Kesu Bapa. After him, if there’s anyone who has truly raised the voice of farmers, it is Gopal Italia. He has spoken up for the poor, for the marginalised, and for the farming community.”
Touching on the agrarian crisis, the AAP Chief continued, “You all know how bad the condition of farmers is today. There’s a severe shortage of fertilisers. It is Gopal Italia and the Aam Aadmi Party who have consistently raised this issue. And then there’s electricity–farmers have been left in the dark. I say this with pride: when we formed our government in Punjab, the situation was terrible.”
He added, “Under the previous governments, power supply came at 2 or 3 in the morning, forcing farmers to stay awake all night just to water their fields. Today, we are giving 8 hours of power during the day to farmers. Not only that, we’ve ensured that irrigation water reaches every field in Punjab. Earlier, only 20% of farmers had access to irrigation. Today, every single field in Punjab has water–and we achieved this in just three years. Just as we worked for them, we will raise your voice too. We will be your voice.”
Warning against the Eco-Sensitive Zone (Eco-Zone) policy, Arvind Kejriwal said, “The biggest threat facing you is this Eco-Zone. If it gets implemented, you will become enslaved to the government. In 2016, when this was first introduced, our party leaders–especially Pravin Ram–fought alongside the people for over a year and a half. We ensured that the Eco-Zone was not enforced. Now, for the past four months, they have started pushing it again. I promise you today–so long as Aam Aadmi Party is here, so long as Gopal Italia, Pravin Ram, Ishudan Gadhvi and all our leaders are here–Eco-Zone will never be allowed here under any circumstances. We will fight it with everything we’ve got.”
Juxtaposing the two main candidates, Arvind Kejriwal said, “On one side, you have Gopal Italia–an honest, sincere, fearless man. A patriot. And on the other side, you have that goonda–corrupt, foul-mouthed and shameless. You all know better than me. I’ve been told of the corruption he has done in the cooperative society–corruption in everything. I’ve heard that even farmers who never took loans were sent notices for Rs 20-25 lakh. Some were driven to suicide. Gopal Italia will get all those notices cancelled. No one should worry–he will fight for each and every one of you.”
Addressing the role of the Congress party, Arvind Kejriwal stated bluntly, “Don’t vote for Congress. Congress is nowhere in this election. They’ll barely get 2,000-3,000 votes. Voting for them means wasting your vote. Today, Congress is a puppet of BJP. They are working hand in hand. Don’t let your vote go to waste–vote for Aam Aadmi Party.”
The AAP Chief said, “If someone is getting married in your neighbourhood and they don’t invite you, will you still go? No, right? Even if they send a card, we don’t go unless they personally invite us–because it’s about respect. Now look, I’m the National Convenor of the party. I’ve come here myself to ask you for your vote.”
He continued, “Just a few days ago, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann came here to ask for your vote. Delhi’s former CM Atishi also came to ask for your vote. We all came to you personally–because we respect your vote. We understand its value. We salute you. But let me ask–did BJP’s National President come to ask for your vote? Did JP Nadda? Did Amit Shah come? Did Rahul Gandhi come to ask for your vote? They didn’t. Why? Because they don’t care. They don’t respect you. They assume you’ll vote for them anyway. But we’re not attending any wedding uninvited–why should we vote for those who don’t even ask?”
Raising a powerful rhetorical question, Arvind Kejriwal said, “Is our vote so cheap that we’ll give it away without being asked? Unless JP Nadda or Amit Shah or Rahul Gandhi personally come and ask, why should we vote for them? They must ask–they must earn it. But they haven’t. That shows they don’t value your vote. Don’t just give it away. Respect your own vote.”
Sharing a concern about election-day manipulation, the AAP Supremo said, “Some people have told me the mood is very positive. People have made up their minds. But the BJP is very cunning. They will surely try something. I’ve heard they’ll try bogus voting. You know how it works–they bring fake voters early in the morning to cast fraudulent votes. So when you go to vote, you may be told your vote is already cast. There’s only one solution–go early. Wake up at 7 AM, bathe, get ready, and be at the polling booth by 7. Before their men can cast your vote, you must vote first. Don’t eat breakfast first–go vote and then come back to eat.”
Praising the unique commitment of the AAP candidate, Arvind Kejriwal said, “Just before I came here, I heard Gopal Italia’s speech. I’ve never seen a leader do this–he has submitted a sworn affidavit, a ‘saugandhnama’, listing 15 promises he will fulfil. He has told you clearly–if he don’t do these things in the next 1.5 or 2 years, don’t vote for him again. Who else gives you that kind of accountability? Doesn’t he deserve one chance?”
He ended with confidence and resolve: “Gopal Italia is an honest man, a true patriot, a fearless voice. I am confident he will become your roaring voice in the Assembly–so powerful that even the biggest BJP leaders will tremble at his words.” (ANI)
Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed of ANI; only the image & headline may have been reworked by News Services Division of World News Network Inc Ltd and Palghar News and Pune News and World News
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