Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took on the BJP over the continuing protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act at Shaheen Bagh, saying it was the "only narrative" for the saffron party in the Delhi polls. Large numbers of women, predominantly Muslims, have been protesting at Shaheen Bagh since December to demand the repeal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
In an interview to new agency ANI on Wednesday, Kejriwal asked "which party was getting the most benefit from the Shaheen Bagh issue?" and declared the "BJP was getting the most benefit” from the continuing protests at Shaheen Bagh.
"Other than Shaheen Bagh, they [BJP] have no other narrative for the entire election," Kejriwal alleged. Kejriwal acknowledged that people were being inconvenienced by the protests at Shaheen Bagh, noting a journey of 30 minutes was now taking hours and buses and ambulances were being stranded. "We have demanded several times [Home Minister] Amit Shah should open the road (at Shaheen Bagh)". "Amit Shah is the most powerful man in the country now; can't he open a road?" asked Kejriwal.
“But he does not want to open it; for the sake of dirty politics, he is not opening the road," Kejriwal told ANI.
"If he opens the road, the BJP's issues for the election will end. If I campaign by talking of opening schools, the BJP talks of Shaheen Bagh... If I talk of opening hospitals, BJP talks of Shaheen Bagh," Kejriwal declared.
When asked about claims by the Delhi Police that Kapil Gujjar, who had opened fire at Shaheen Bagh, had links to the Aam Aadmi Party, Kejriwal called the allegations a "political stunt". “BJP is using Delhi Police; if Kapil has links with AAP, he must be given stringent punishment,” Kejriwal told ANI.
Kejriwal also slammed BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma for calling him a terrorist. Kejriwal described he was very hurt and said he had never done anything for his family or his children and "had dedicated his life for the service of the country".
