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Arvind Kejriwal finds ?bakwas? in Gujarat, faces protests himself

Arvind Kejriwal rubbishes Narendra Modi’s claims of development in Gujarat by calling it bakwas.

On the second day of his Gujarat tour, Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal met Sikh farmers and fishermen in Kutch and rubbished claims of Gujarat?s development by calling it bakwas and only meant for the Reliance and Ambani groups.

He faced protests from BJP workers in Bhuj outside G K General Hospital, managed by Adani Group, and in Gandhidham where a group of some 200 BJP workers disrupted his road show.

After meeting fishermen in Bhuj, Mundra and Bhadreshwar, Kejriwal visited Gandhidham where he addressed a gathering of AAP supporters. ?From what I have seen so far, I can say that development has happened in Gujarat, but only for Reliance and Adani.

Earlier, I had the impression that education and health facilities were good in the state. But even that has proved wrong now. Also, has the corruption graph come down in the state? I have been told that people paid Rs10 lakh to get the job of a talati. One young man told me on Wednesday that he paid Rs 30 lakh to secure a post of assistant registrar. People have to shell out money even to get a police complaint registered. I exhort AAP workers to dismantle Gujarat model in one month (before elections),? he said.

Meanwhile, AAP leader Manish Sisodia also alleged that his car was attacked in Himmatnagar of Sabarkantha district Thursday and blamed the BJP for this incident.

He was touring Sabarkantha as part of Kejriwal?s ?assessment tour?. He also posted pictures of the smashed car on Twitter and tweeted, ?If BJP leaders think they can hide corruption in Gujarat by attacking my car, then they are underestimating the power of the Aam Gujarati?.

During Kelriwal?s tour, a delegation of 17 Sikh farmers from Abdasa Taluka met him early Thursday and urged him to help them in their fight to retain their land in Kutch.

?We told Kejriwalji that Gujarat government and CM Modi were against us. We told him that when the Gujarat High Court has ruled in favour of Sikh farmers, what was the need for the government to move the Supreme Court?? said Surinder Bhullar, a Sikh farmer who led the delegation.

From Bhuj, Kejriwal drove to Mundra. Later, talking to the media at Darab near the Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone (MPSEZ) of Adani, Kejriwal said, ?Mundra farmers are complaining that their land was taken away at Rs 90,000 per hectare against the market price of Rs1 crore and later handed over to Adani for Rs1 per square metre.?

From Darab, the Kejriwal convoy went to remote Bhadreshwar in Mundra taluka where OPG Power is setting up a 300-MW thermal plant.

Amad Elias, a fisherman of Bhadreshwar and president of Machhimar Adhikar Sangathan, a body of fishermen of Kutch district, submitted a memorandum to Kejriwal urging him to stop the the power plant construction as it posed threat to their fishing water.

As he left Gandhidham, BJP spporters raised slogans calling him ?Delhi ka chor? and tried to stop his car by lying down in front of it. But they were removed by the reinforced police escorts provided to Kejriwal after Wednesday?s attack.

– Gopal B Kateshiya

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First published on: 07-03-2014 at 10:56 IST
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