The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Dictatorship has to be answered by voting: AAP’S Sanjay Singh at padyatra
AAM AADMI Party Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh held his maiden padyatra (footmarch) in East Delhi’s Shakarpur and Laxmi Nagar areas Thursday. He was accompanied by AAP’S INDIA bloc Lok Sabha candidate for East Delhi, Kuldeep Kumar.
The two leaders were followed by hundreds of party workers — both from AAP and the Congress — and supporters bearing AAP flags, donning the party’s signature cap while raising slogans in support of jailed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Singh appealed to Delhiites to respond to the AAP convener’s arrest by voting for the party’s candidates. “Kejriwal has provided free electricity, water, education, medical treatment to people, pilgrimage facility to the elderly and bus travel facility to women... Modi ji’s dictatorship and atrocities have to be answered by voting (against the BJP),” he said.
As he made his way from Shakarpur to Laxmi Nagar, Singh stopped to speak to shopkeepers and street vendors, eating golgappas from a roadside stall.
Party workers distributed pamphlets as the march moved along; area residents and vendors, meanwhile, spoke about AAP’S policies in the city. “What Kejriwal has done, Modi can never do,” said Aman Choudhary, who works at a shop in Laxmi Nagar.
Talking about AAP’S free water, power and bus ride schemes, he said, “What else do the poor need? This is what we are expecting from our government, to work for the people’s welfare.”
Choudhary said AAP’S slogan of‘ Jail ka jawab vote se ’isapt while adding, “Kejriwal has done so much for us. So, it’s our duty to support him.”
On the other hand, Anil, who said he was happy with the AAP’S policies, said he would still support the BJP. “BJP is coming back with 400 seats this time, it has our support,” the fast food stall owner said.
Sushil Kumar, who retired as a driver in the Delhi government, questioned the authenticity of the case against the CM, citing “lack of evidence”. “In Lalu Yadav’s arrest in the fodder scam, there was evidence to back it... however, the ED is yet to prove a thing till now in Kejriwal’s case,” he said.
“In a democracy, it’s not right to put politicians in jail during elections... Let there be fair polls; if one has actually done something wrong, you can take necessary action afterwards,” said Jawahar Lal Dhawan, President of Laxmi Nagar Block Congress Committee. Dhawan said he’s confident of Kumar’s victory, adding, “There is a very good coordination between workers of the AAP and the Congress, and people of the area are also gladly embracing our alliance... Kuldeep will emerge victorious.”
Meanwhile, AAP spokesperson Meenakshi Sharma said she was worried about women empowerment and security in the country. “Our female wrestlers had to protest for 2 months at Jantar Mantar to get their FIR registered... how will women be empowered if a single FIR takes 2 months?” she asked.
(The writer is an intern with The Indian Express)