As the Delhi Assembly elections draw closer, Union Home Minister Amit Shah raised his criticism on the Aam Aadmi Party as he addressed a public meeting in the Mustafabad constituency. He asked the voters to “sweep the AAP out with a ‘jhaadu’, a pointed reference to AAP’s election symbol, the broom.” Shah called the AAP-the “3G”-government, alleging corruption and mismanagement.
Amit Shah’s Accusations
Speaking to the gathering, Shah said, “People are going to sweep AAP out with a ‘jhaadu’ this time…They know there is a 3G government in Delhi.” The 3G would mean “ghapla” (scam), “ghuspaithiyon ko panah” (sheltering infiltrators), and “ghotala” (fraud). Shah pointed out that it was high time Delhi got rid of what he called “AAP”-“da” (meaning “disaster” in Hindi).
AAP’s Reaction
While Shah was delivering the speech, the AAP chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal shared a video on social media. In the clip, Delhi police are seen dispersing AAP workers dancing in a public place. Kejriwal said, “Look. Amit Shah ji has started fearing the youth of the country who are just singing and dancing. When a government starts fearing the youth, then it is a sign that these are the last days of the government.”
Kejriwal’s response seems to point out how the police action reflects the BJP’s fear that AAP’s influence among youth was growing stronger.
First, the words exchanged between Shah and Kejriwal have thrown many a dart and opened up fresh wounds as the parties are vying for electoral control in Delhi. The BJP has time and again been campaigning to uproot the present AAP government, raising stick and hot issues of alleged corruption and governance failures.
The alternate AAP is reiterating its charges on education, health care, and public service to appease a wider stretch of the electorate.
Second, the public reaction to these developments is mixed. Some voters agree with Shah’s criticism, citing alleged wrongdoings in the AAP administration. Others find Kejriwal’s portrayal of the BJP as disconnected from the aspirations of Delhi’s youth to be compelling.
The video shared by Kejriwal has remarkably gained attention in social media, with many debating the propriety of police actions in the context of political expression that goes on.
In the coming elections, such exchanges seem to affect voter perceptions. Discrediting the record of governance of AAP seems to be the BJP’s game while positioning itself as a progressive group to the needs of the people of Delhi is on the cards for AAP. The battle will boil down to which of the two narratives can connect with the people more.
The verbal sparring between Amit Shah and Arvind Kejriwal underscores the high stakes of the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. As both parties begin to intensify their campaigns, voters will, therefore, need to evaluate ideas and claims or even counterclaims so that they can get to the right decision at the polls.
