New Delhi:- Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of "kidnapping" democracy. He said in the backdrop of the BJP's landslide victory in the recently concluded West Bengal assembly elections that Punjab will stop the party's 'victory chariot'.
Kejriwal alleged that the BJP has "kidnapped and murdered" democracy. Accusing the party of rigging the elections, he said, "The BJP has done the same in West Bengal as it did in my assembly constituency in New Delhi by stealing votes."
Kejriwal said, "Today democracy is in danger. In 2014, there was a wave in favour of Narendra Modi and he (BJP) kept winning elections continuously. In February 2015, he got only three seats in Delhi. If he comes to power in Punjab, he will ruin the state." He said that the upcoming assembly elections in Punjab will be "the last elections for Prime Minister Modi; after Punjab, the Modi government will fall." Kejriwal claimed that there is a pro-incumbency wave in Punjab in favour of the AAP government and every village recognises the work done by the administration. Referring to the seven Rajya Sabha members who recently left AAP and joined the BJP, Kejriwal said that these seats belonged to Punjabis. "The BJP has snatched these seats from Punjab and now we all have to work to stop them. Punjab has historically stopped foreign invasions, but this time the enemy is within; Punjabis will have to stop them." Apart from Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also addressed the state MLAs gathered at Kapurthala House. Earlier, Mann met President Draupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan and urged her to terminate the membership of the six Rajya Sabha members from the state who had left AAP and joined the BJP. BJP leaders have expressed confidence of repeating the success they achieved in West Bengal in the Punjab assembly elections to be held in 2027.