Attacks and rebellion mark Kejriwal’s rallies in Delhi

New Delhi

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal had an action-packed day, holding rallies and public addresses in three localities, suffering an alleged attack and crossing paths with an incumbent party legislator who turned a dissident upon being dropped for the upcoming polls.

Kejriwal led the AAP attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at rallies in Hari Nagar, Rajouri Garden and Madipur, especially training his guns at Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who was in the Capital to campaign for the BJP.

“We welcome Yogiji to Delhi... We have provided 24X7 electricity supply in Delhi. In UP, the BJP has double-engine government for the last 10 years... entire UP reports 10 hours power blackouts. Work we have done in Delhi; the BJP has not been able to do in any of the 20 states it governs,” Kejriwal said.

“In Delhi, you get 24-hour electricity, and 200 units are free. Even if you consume 400 units in Delhi, the bill comes to ₹800. In Uttar Pradesh, if you use 400 units, the bill is ₹4,000. If you press the wrong button, you’ll get ₹4,000 electricity bills, and Delhi will no longer be livable for you. But if you press the broom button (AAP’s symbol), you’ll get free electricity and 24-hour supply,” he said in the rally at Hari Nagar.

The BJP hit back at Kejriwal, terming his charges and allegations as “lies”. “PM Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, and BJP national president JP Nadda have clarified that all the public welfare schemes which are going on in Delhi will continue when the BJP comes to power and in factm we BJP will improve the schemes by checking the corruption,” BJP Lok Sabha MP and chairman of election manifesto committee of Delhi BJP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said.

After the rally in Hari Nagar ended at around 6pm,Kejriwal alleged an “attack” on his vehicle.

After the rally here, Kejriwal posted on X: “Today in Hari Nagar, the police allowed the opposition candidate’s men to enter my public meeting and then attacked my car. All this is happening on the orders of Amit Shah. Amit Shah has made the Delhi Police the personal army of the BJP. Big questions are being raised on the Election Commission that the national president of a national party and its leaders are being constantly attacked and the Election Commission is unable to take any effective action.”

The AAP also released a 24-second video on the alleged attack, which shows a few people holding black flags standing close to his vehicle while it was moving.

Delhi Police did not respond to requests for comment on the alleged attack.

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva alleged Kejriwal’s claims of “attack” are fabricated. “Kejriwal, who has already fabricated accusations of attacks in places like Narela, Greater Kailash, and New Delhi, has now falsely accused an attack in Hari Nagar,” he said.

Even before the alleged attack, Kejriwal’s rally in Hari Nagar was briefly disrupted by MLA Rajkumari Dhillon’s campaign vehicle making its way through a section of the crowd that had gathered for Kejriwal’s rally. Passing through the crowd in a vehicle, Dhillon waved a bat, her election symbol and was spotted speaking, but was inaudible.

AAP initially re-fielded Dhillon for the 2025 polls, but later replaced her with Surender Kumar Setia. Dhillon rebelled against the AAP and filed her nomination as an independent candidate.

Kejriwal continued to attack the BJP at his other two rallies as well, chiefly targeting them over public services, such as health care and education, and advising people to opt for the AAP for continued services.

At Rajouri Garden, Kejriwal said: “I want to ask Yogi Adityanath about the condition of government hospitals in Uttar Pradesh. They are all in a broken state, doctors don’t show up, medicines are not available, machines are broken, and tests are not conducted. Our brothers and sisters from Uttar Pradesh have to travel such long distances to Delhi for treatment. We treat them here in Delhi and send them back to Uttar Pradesh. Tell me, why should anyone vote for the BJP? Have they fixed their schools? Their hospitals? Water supply? Electricity? Anything?”

The AAP chief reiterated his charge that the BJP will stop free education in government schools if it comes to power. “The BJP announced three days ago that they will stop free education... if you press the wrong button (on EVM), the free education available to your kids will stop, and they will become like Uttar Pradesh government schools,” Kejriwal said.