Ahmedabad, Mar 7 (Agencies): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Friday headed to the Ahemdabad airport to leave for Delhi after failing to get an appointment with his bete noire and the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, whom he attacked over his claims of clean governance and development.
AAP chief Kejriwal told reporters, “We will meet Narendra Modi whenever I am given an appointment.”
The AAP leader further said, “My colleague Manish Sisodia went to seek an appointment with Modi but he was told that he has no time for us.”
“CM's additional secretary asked me to give a written request for a meeting and said that it will be decided by Modi ji,” Sisodia also told reporters.
The Gujarat Police earlier stopped Kejriwal's car mid-way when he was going to meet Chief Minister Narendra Modi at his office. Kejriwal was proceeding towards Modi's office to meet him with a list of 16 questions, without seeking an appointment.
Ahead of that Kejriwal dismissed Modi's repeated claims of Gujarat's development and said that he along with his supporters will meet the Chief Minister at his residence.
Addressing an open press conference, the AAP leader said, “There was a lot of talk about how progressive Gujarat has been, but what we have witnessed in last two days is the exact opposite. What we saw in Gujarat is quite shocking, its exactly opposite to what is being projected about the BJP-ruled state.”
“We will go to Narendra Modi's residence now and ask him 16 questions,” Kejriwal said.
Further taking on Modi on his own turf in Ahmedabad, Kejriwal said, “Modi claims that corruption is over in Gujarat but people talk about it across the state. Gujarat has high unemployment levels too.”
Attacking the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, the AAP leader raked up the KG Basin gas pricing issue.
“We will ask Modi ji if he will allow increase of gas prices if he becomes PM,” Kejriwal said, adding, “If Modi meets us, we will convey our concerns to him.”
Meanwhile, the main opposition party has hit back on AAP, saying Kejriwal has become inspector of development.
“Kejriwal has become inspector of development. Congress has entrusted him with this task. He is the Team B of the Congress party,” senior BJP leader MA Naqvi said.
The AAP leader has not taken prior appointment with the Gujarat Chief Minister and it would be interesting to see whether the meeting between the two actually takes place.
Kejriwal's four-day tour of Gujarat continues to generate heat as he faced protest by the BJP workers here this morning.
According to reports, several BJP workers demonstrated against his visit and asked him to go back.
The workers of BJP shouted anti-AAP slogans when Kejriwal's convoy entered the city and shouted “Arvind Kejriwal go back” and “why have you come here.”
The BJP workers, who were seen carrying BJP flags, said that the AAP leader is a big liar and his Gujarat visit is nothing but a publicity stunt.
It is to be noted that Kejriwal's detention in Gujarat over alleged violation of model code of conduct had sparked violent clashes in Delhi and other parts of the country.
The tussle between AAP and the BJP further intensified when an FIR was lodged against Kejriwal yesterday for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct by using loud speaker at a public meeting at Gandhidham in Kutch district of Gujarat without taking permission from the Election Commission.
The FIR was lodged under section 188 of IPC (disobeying public servant's order), Superintendent of Police, Dipak Meghani said.
"The whole event was video-graphed. He addressed the gathering using loud speaker in the presence of election officers," Meghani said, adding "Election Commission permitted us to file FIR against him."
Separately, AAP leader Manish Sisodia, who is also accompanying Kejriwal in his Gujarat tour, had alleged that his car was attacked by BJP workers yesterday.
The Gujarat Police, however, denied that such an attack took place. On Thursday, Kejriwal's car was attacked and its windshield smashed by protesters who AAP alleges were BJP workers, as he drove through Kutch.
The state police later constituted two teams to identify and locate the vandals. No one has been arrested so far.
Kejriwal is touring Gujarat to verify claims of uber-development brandished by Narendra Modi, the BJP"s candidate for prime minister, who has governed the state since 2001. Kejriwal claims that so far he has not seen any evidence of the clean and effective governance that Modi offers as his main qualification for running the country.
Arvind Kejriwal heads to Narendra Modi's home with 16 questions
Ahmedabad, Mar 7 (Agencies) : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal on Friday dismissed Narendra Modi's repeated claims of Gujarat's development and said that he along with his supporters will head to the Chief Minister's residence to meet him with a list of 16 questions.
Addressing an open press conference, the AAP leader said, “There was a lot of talk about how progressive Gujarat has been, but what we have witnessed in last two days is the exact opposite. What we saw in Gujarat is quite shocking, its exactly opposite to what is being projected about the BJP-ruled state.”
“We will go to Narendra Modi's residence now and ask him 16 questions,” Kejriwal said.
Further taking on Modi on his own turf in Ahmedabad, Kejriwal said, “Modi claims that corruption is over in Gujarat but people talk about it across the state. Gujarat has high unemployment levels too.”
Attacking the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, the AAP leader raked up the KG Basin gas pricing issue.
“We will ask Modi ji if he will increase the gas prices if he becomes PM,” Kejriwal said, adding, “If Modi meets us, we will convey our concerns to him.”
Meanwhile, the main opposition party has hit back on AAP, saying Kejriwal has now become the inspector of development.
“Kejriwal has now become the inspector of development. Congress has entrusted him with this task. He is the Team B of the Congress party,” senior BJP leader MA Naqvi said.
The AAP leader has not taken prior appointment with the Gujarat Chief Minister and it would be interesting to see whether the meeting between the two actually takes place.
Kejriwal's four-day tour of Gujarat continues to generate heat as he faced protest by the BJP workers here this morning.
According to reports, several BJP workers demonstrated against his visit and asked him to go back.
The workers of BJP shouted anti-AAP slogans when Kejriwal's convoy entered the city and shouted “Arvind Kejriwal go back” and “why have you come here.”
The BJP workers, who were seen carrying BJP flags, said that the AAP leader is a big liar and his Gujarat visit is nothing but a publicity stunt.
It is to be noted that Kejriwal's detention in Gujarat over alleged violation of model code of conduct had sparked violent clashes in Delhi and other parts of the country.
The tussle between AAP and the BJP further intensified when an FIR was lodged against Kejriwal yesterday for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct by using loud speaker at a public meeting at Gandhidham in Kutch district of Gujarat without taking permission from the Election Commission.
The FIR was lodged under section 188 of IPC (disobeying public servant's order), Superintendent of Police, Dipak Meghani said.
"The whole event was video-graphed. He addressed the gathering using loud speaker in the presence of election officers," Meghani said, adding "Election Commission permitted us to file FIR against him."
Separately, AAP leader Manish Sisodia, who is also accompanying Kejriwal in his Gujarat tour, had alleged that his car was attacked by BJP workers yesterday.
The Gujarat Police, however, denied that such an attack took place. On Thursday, Kejriwal's car was attacked and its windshield smashed by protesters who AAP alleges were BJP workers, as he drove through Kutch.
The state police later constituted two teams to identify and locate the vandals. No one has been arrested so far.
Kejriwal is touring Gujarat to verify claims of uber-development brandished by Narendra Modi, the BJP"s candidate for prime minister, who has governed the state since 2001. Kejriwal claims that so far he has not seen any evidence of the clean and effective governance that Modi offers as his main qualification for running the country.