New Delhi: On January 10, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bhardwaj responded to the BJP’s accusations that former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had disrespected “Purvanchalis” (people from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar). Bhardwaj countered by claiming that the BJP has a long history of being “anti-Purvanchal.”
In an interview, Bhardwaj criticized BJP President J.P. Nadda for previously labeling Purvanchalis as “Rohingyas, Bangladeshis, and infiltrators” in Parliament, calling these comments “insulting” and detrimental to relations with the community. He pointed out that the treatment of Purvanchalis under BJP rule in states like Maharashtra and Gujarat has been poor, citing an incident where BJP leaders prevented Purvanchalis from celebrating Chhath Puja in Greater Kailash.
Bhardwaj also accused the BJP of trying to manipulate the electoral process by removing names from voter lists in areas with a significant Purvanchali population, specifically mentioning Shahdara and Kejriwal’s constituency. He claimed the AAP had provided evidence of 10,000 names being removed in Shahdara as part of this alleged election manipulation.
Turning his attention to BJP leader Giriraj Singh, who had labeled Kejriwal a “traitor,” Bhardwaj dismissed engaging with such remarks, urging the BJP to improve its discourse before attempting dialogue.
In response to BJP state President Virendra Sachdeva’s comments, which compared Kejriwal’s leadership to that of a “mare” in a wedding and accused him of inciting communal tension, Bhardwaj remarked that the BJP has struggled to find a viable Chief Ministerial candidate for Delhi over the past 27 years, highlighting the party’s lack of a clear agenda or vision for the future.