Bharatiya Janata Party president Jagat Prakash Nadda has accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of protecting “anti-nationals” like former JNU student leaders Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid in a bid to save his vote bank. In a tweet put out on Monday morning, Nadda raked up the issue of seditious slogans allegedly being raised at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi and cast aspersions on Kejriwal’s refusal to grant prosecution sanction against the accused.
“Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and other anti-India forces raised seditious slogans like ‘Bharat tere tukde honge’ in JNU. They were threatening to violate India’s sovereignty. Law enforcement agencies moved in, investigated the matter and in Jan 2019 were ready to file chargesheet,” Nadda said.
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“They sought Kejriwal’s permission to prosecute this tukde tukde gang but one year later, till yesterday, no permission was granted. Kejriwal must tell Delhi why is he supporting those who want to break India? Is it because acting against these anti-nationals will hurt his vote bank?” Nadda questioned further.
Nadda’s statements come as Delhi braces to vote in just over a week from now. Campaigning from all parties is expected to reach its crescendo in the coming days. While the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government has managed to keep the elections localised and based on the performance of the government in the education and health sectors, the BJP wants to shift the focus to issues like the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens.
They sought Kejriwal’s permission to prosecute this tukde tukde gang but one year later, till y’day, no permission was granted. Kejriwal must tell Delhi why is he supporting those who want to break India? Is it because acting against these anti-nationals will hurt his vote bank?
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) January 27, 2020
The anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh in southeast Delhi has become the latest flashpoint between the two parties. With Kejriwal and Co. keeping away from the protests, the BJP is bent on exploiting the AAP’s measured response to on this front to its benefit. Starting Monday, close to 150 BJP leaders will hit the campaign trail seeking answers from Kejriwal over his stand on the ongoing agitation. Besides attempts to polarise the election on religious lines, the BJP is hoping to cash-in on the inconveniences caused to people who regularly use the Sarita Vihar-Kalindi Kunj stretch to its advantage. The road has been shut for vehicular traffic for over a month since the passage of the CAA in Parliament.
