‘ME READING HANUMAN CHALISA IS HURTING BJP’
NEW DELHI: Taking a dig at the BJP, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said his reading the Hanuman Chalisa has hurt leaders of the saffron party.
In a tweet in Hindi, the Delhi chief minister also said he wanted BJP leaders to also read the devotional hymn addressed to Lord Hanuman everyday.
They will find peace and their language will also improve, Kejriwal said, attacking his rival ahead of the February 8 Delhi polls.
“Me reading the Hanuman Chalisa is hurting BJP leaders,” he said.
During an election rally in northwest Delhi’s Kirari on Tuesday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, “Now Arvind Kejriwal has started reciting the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’. In coming days, you will see Owaisi reciting the same. This will certainly happen.”
On Monday, Kejriwal told a news channel that he does not need BJP’S endorsement on being a Hindu. He also recited the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ on stage.
Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said if the person who opened fire at the anti-caa protest site in Shaheen Bagh belonged to his party, he should be given a “double punishment”.
Kejriwal told reporters that there should be no compromise on national security.
“I want to urge (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah not to compromise on national security,” he said.
Whoever is responsible for jeopardising law and order should be given a strict punishment, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief added.
Police on Tuesday said Kapil Baisala, who opened fired at the Shaheen Bagh protest site last week, was a member of the AAP, sparking a war of words between the Kejriwal-led party and the BJP.
“I am not aware of his (Baisala’s) ties with any political party. If he is even remotely related to the AAP, he should be given a double punishment. If he deserves 10 years in jail, he should be given a 20-year jail term. There should not be any compromise on national security.
“I also want to ask the Union home minister not to do politics with national security,” Kejriwal said.
“Just 48 hours before the Assembly polls, if you (Shah) are sending police officers for a press conference, it exposes your ill-intent. People are not fools, they understand your intention,” he added.
Shah should send Baisala to jail irrespective of whether he belonged to the AAP, BJP, Congress or any political party, the chief minister said.
Baisala and his father joined the AAP in early 2019, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Rajesh Deo said on Tuesday.
Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh wondered on whose directions the Delhi Police was accusing his party.