A political controversy unfolded during the three-day visit of Arvind Kejriwal to Gujarat after the Aam Aadmi Party accused the state administration, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, of deliberately obstructing an important party event in Ahmedabad.
AAP leader Gopal Italia alleged that the Gujarat government cancelled Kejriwal’s scheduled programme by withdrawing permission for a venue where a workers’ conference and oath-taking ceremony were planned. He claimed that police personnel reached the venue late at night, questioned those present and pressured the property owner, creating an atmosphere of fear. Italia said the party was forced to shift the conference to an alternative location at the last minute due to these developments.
According to Italia, the ruling party’s actions reflected panic within the BJP over AAP’s expanding support base in Gujarat. He accused the state government of intentionally disrupting the event to undermine AAP’s organisational efforts during Kejriwal’s visit and prevent the party from mobilising its cadre.
During the visit, the AAP national convener also launched a strong political attack on the BJP, accusing it of misgovernance in Gujarat over the past three decades. Kejriwal alleged that corruption and intimidation had become widespread under BJP rule and claimed that voices questioning injustice or corruption were systematically suppressed.
“For the last 30 years, the BJP has ruled Gujarat and, in that time, it has pushed the state into a deep crisis,” Kejriwal said. He alleged that fear and corruption were pervasive and claimed that people who spoke out against wrongdoing were threatened or jailed, while corruption was carried out openly without accountability.
Kejriwal further asserted that AAP was increasingly being viewed as a credible alternative by the people of Gujarat. He said the party had been organising rallies across the state for the past several months and had witnessed strong public participation despite limited resources. Emphasising that AAP lacked financial muscle, he claimed that supporters were attending rallies at their own expense because they saw hope in the party’s message.
Explaining the purpose of his visit, Kejriwal said he was in Gujarat to interact with volunteers, assess ground-level sentiment and help chalk out a future strategy for the party. He maintained that public enthusiasm for AAP had been steadily growing and would continue to strengthen in the coming months.
AAP leaders reiterated that despite what they described as deliberate attempts to create hurdles, the party would press ahead with its outreach and organisational activities in Gujarat throughout Kejriwal’s visit and beyond.
