For Poorvanchal pride, BJP marches towards Kejriwal’s home

NEW DELHI: Delhi BJP functionaries on Friday held a protest, which the party has called a Poorvanchal Samman March, near former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence on Feroz Shah Road.

The protest was staged against AAP convenor Kejriwal's statement over UP and Bihar.

Protesters attempted to march towards his residence, crossing police barricades, and were stopped by water cannons before being detained and taken to Mandir Marg police station. MP Manoj Tiwari visited the detained protesters and, after some time, the police released them with a warning.

Speaking to journalists outside the Mandir Marg police station, Tiwari said that Kejriwal had insulted not just Poorvanchalis but also people who come to Delhi for work. He added that the people of Delhi would not forgive Kejriwal for his statement and Poorvanchalis would unify to bring BJP to power. People from eastern UP, Bihar and parts of Jharkhand are referred to as Poorvanchalis in Delhi.

BJP functionary Dinesh Pratap Singh said that Kejriwal always found opportunities to demean Poorvanchalis. He said the Poorvanchalis would never compromise on their pride and demanded that Kejriwal prove what he did for them.

BJP functionary Rahul Trivedi said that people from Poorvanchal had established their identity in Delhi through their hard work and earnings. "They hold a significant place in Delhi's economy. Many of them were in Delhi when Kejriwal's name was not even known in Delhi politics," he said.

Santosh Ojha, president of the BJP Poorvanchal Morcha, said that Kejriwal saw Poorvanchalis as just a vote bank and had deceived them for a decade. He also accused Kejriwal of settling Rohingya and Bangladeshi people while sidelining the Poorvanchalis.

Responding to the allegations, AAP said that Kejriwal and AAP had consistently honoured the Poorvanchali community by appointing them as ministers, MPs and MLAs and building hundreds of Chhath Ghats to support their traditions. "In stark contrast, BJP insulted Poorvanchalis by labelling them as ‘Rohingya-Bangladeshi' and orchestrating efforts to delete their votes," the party said.

"While AAP govt worked tirelessly to uplift Poorvanchalis, installing water and sewer pipelines, improving education, and strengthening healthcare in unauthorised colonies where many from the Poorvanchal community reside, BJP, despite controlling immense power with all seven MPs, failed to deliver anything meaningful for them in over a decade," it added.