‘For 70 years, Pakistan could not succeed in dividing India, the BJP has done this in three years’

In a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party, Delhi Chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Friday called it a party of “traitors, backstabbers and riot instigators”.

Addressing a public meeting in Sindhkhed Raja town in Buldhana district, the birthplace of Maharashtra’s revered warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji’s mother Jijabai, the Delhi CM also came down heavily on the Devendra Fadnavis government.

‘Triggering riots’

“Shivaji and (social reformer Jyotiba) Phule worked towards unification of all castes and religions. They gave a message of unity. But in Bhima-Koregaon ( recently) the RSS-BJP attacked the Dalits. The BJP is a party of riot instigators. They make one caste fight against another, one religious group fight against another. The BJP has only one religion and it is to trigger riots to continue its rule,” Mr. Kejriwal alleged.

Recollecting a recent conversation with a BJP leader, Mr. Kejriwal said, “I asked the BJP man about his party’s work. He man replied that they don’t need work. He told me that his party will instigate riots before 2019 elections and win the elections.”

“It is their (RSS-BJP) formula. The British could rule our country by using the divide and rule strategy and Pakistan also wanted to see India a divided nation. For 70 years, Pakistan could not succeed in its plans to divide India but the BJP has achieved it in only three years,” he said.

He then asked the people to decide what they want. “If you want riots, the vote for BJP but if you want schools, hospitals, employment and other developments then throw these parties away,” he added.

Criticising the government for the closure of state-run schools, the Delhi CM said, “It is sad that in the land where the first school for women and Dalits came up, over 1000 government-run schools are being closed. [Devendra] Fadnavis government says it can’t run these schools and wants to give it to private players. How can a party, which can’t run schools, run a government? We have revolutionised government-run schools in Delhi. Our budget it only ₹40,000 crore. Maharashtra has a budget of ₹3,00,000 crore. Where did all the money go? The money went in scams. Everywhere you see in Maharashtra, you witness a scam.” He accused the Chief Minister of rampant corruption and demanded his resignation.