Delhi first to be attacked, other states could be next, warns Kejriwal

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party’s “Maha Rally”, in revolt against the ordinance implemented by the Centre surpassing the Supreme Court’s verdict of May 11, 2023, allowing Delhi Government to take state decisions independently, has lost its grandeur even at the historic Ram Leela ground where AAP was born 12 years ago.

AAP’s supremo Arvind Kejriwal while addressing the crowd warned other states–– West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh––that the dictatorship that haunts the Capital today could visit their states too.

Terming Centre's ordinance an infringement upon the tenets of democracy, he warned that Babasaheb's Constitution placed the public at the helm, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi is assaulting the Constitution to undermine the rights of the public, as he sought the support of his counterparts against the ordinance in Rajya Sabha.

With much zeal, Kejriwal pointed out that it was 12 years ago when he and other supporters had gathered at Ramlila Maidan to fight against corruption. “Today once again some of us have gathered here to fight and defeat a very greedy king. We have gathered over here to defeat a dictator. Just like how that fight 12 years ago was successful,” he said.

However, the crowd that Kejriwal was addressing was not aware of the subject or struggled to comprehend the implications of the ordinance.

“Everyone in the house was getting on the bus and coming here I also came along,” Sarita, a housewife said. Her husband had come because the ward councillor had asked him to. “They all play politics. We have nothing to do with all this. We understand simple things as they promised us free electricity but last month, I received a bill for Rs 800. Where is the free electricity?,” Bhavesh said. The couple live in a one-room house without AC and a washing machine in Dwarka.

The CM further educated the gathered crowd and said, “I have received some important information from the BJP offices, and have been informed that this is only the first weapon that the BJP plans to use to bring changes to the Constitution that will go on to overthrow democratic institutions within the country. Such ordinances can tomorrow be issued in Rajasthan, Punjab, Maharashtra and so on.”

The sole Opposition leader at the maha rally was independent Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal who communicated the technicalities of the SC verdict and the ordinance overturning it.

The AAP is looking for support from politicians across the country as its leaders are targeted by investigating agencies and its elected government’s light dims as the central government phantom hovers above. The IIT graduate Kejriwal said that the illiterate PM could have done a better job with demonetisation, price rise, and unemployment if he had the degree and education and would have supported the education-driven party instead of undoing the good work being done in Delhi by the elected government.

Meanwhile, a 60-year-old Mamman braved the crowd with a limp and a walking stick and the scorching sun above to ask the leaders why Shahdara still has open drains and sewer overflows. “There were Prime Ministers before too ––Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Vajpayee but we never heard of such things. Everyone should do their work. The central government should focus on theirs and Kejriwal should focus on Delhi and its many problems,” he said. Braving the scorching temperatures, Delhiites pledged their allegiance to the cause of protecting the Constitution and safeguarding the principles of democracy while Kejriwal emphasised the magnitude of their movement, stating that soon this movement to rid this nation of egoistic dictators and protect the Constitution would win.

As the Ramlila Maidan echoed with chants of “Modi teri tanaashahi, nahi chalegi-nahi chalegi”, “Adhyaadesh vaapas lo-vaapas lo”, and “Supreme Court ka aadesh lagu karo”, attendees sweltered in the 42-degree temperature and went back with little understanding of the ordinance––the point of the “Maha” rally leaving behind as usual–-a littered ground.