The BRICS TimesThe rally of Arvind Kejriwal in Gujarat was cancelled because of continuous heavy rains, while the public meeting scheduled in Chotila was also postponed. The BJP criticized Kejriwal for touring Gujarat amid Punjab’s flood crisis. Meanwhile, Kejriwal accused the central government of betraying farmers by scrapping import duties on cotton.
Due to incessant rainfall across Gujarat, the rally of Former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party’s national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, which was planned for today, had to be called off. The gathering that was supposed to take place in Chotila also could not go ahead as scheduled because of the unfavorable weather conditions. The cancellation of this program has sparked a fresh round of political exchanges, with the Bharatiya Janata Party launching a sharp attack on Kejriwal over his visit to the state.
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva criticized Kejriwal strongly, remarking, “At a time when Punjab is grappling with severe flood-like conditions, Kejriwal is busy touring Gujarat.” He further alleged that Kejriwal is more concerned about projecting himself as a national leader rather than addressing the ongoing crisis in Punjab. According to Sachdeva, “When Delhi was facing hardships, he went away to Punjab. And now, when Punjab is struggling with devastating floods and even Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is unwell, Kejriwal is on a political tour of Gujarat.”
Kejriwal is currently on a two-day visit to Gujarat, beginning with his arrival in Rajkot. As part of his itinerary, he was expected to participate in the farmers’ Mahapanchayat organized in Chotila. The Mahapanchayat had been scheduled to protest against the central government’s decision to remove import duties on cotton, a move that has triggered discontent among the farming community.
Taking aim at the central government during his address, Kejriwal accused the Modi administration of betraying Indian farmers by lifting duties on cotton imports from the United States. He warned, “The Modi government has cheated the cotton farmers secretly. By removing import duties on cotton coming from America, our farmers will be pushed to the brink and forced to commit suicides.”
Kejriwal also extended his criticism to the economic repercussions faced by India’s diamond sector. He pointed out, “On one hand, the government has removed import duties on cotton from the U.S., while on the other hand, America has imposed tariffs on our goods, which has devastated our diamond industry.” In addition, Kejriwal reiterated that the issue of vote rigging remains the real concern that the people should focus on.
Akshay Didwaniya
