PM's aide warning news channels against covering AAP in Gujarat: Arvind Kejriwal

Raising the crescendo on the attack on the BJP, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aide Hiren Joshi has warned news channels against giving airtime to AAP in the run up to Gujarat Assembly elections fearing that the saffron party is losing the polls.

He said if someone shares the screenshots of the messages or recordings of phone calls made by Joshi to editors and media owners, he and the Prime Minister will not have a face to show to the country.

There was no immediate reaction from the Prime Minister’s Office or Joshi, Officer on Special Duty (Communications IT), but BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that Kejriwal was a "megalomaniac", "bayan bahadur" (one who makes big claims) and one who considers himself a god after AAP winning two states.

Also Read — Fearing defeat in Gujarat, BJP trying to 'crush' AAP in name of fighting corruption, alleges Kejriwal

Kejriwal's attack came at the first-ever national conclave of AAP's elected representatives here where he also charged them with attempting to crush the AAP by lodging "false" cases in the pretext of fighting corruption. He also said the BJP was "not able to digest the growing popularity of the AAP in Gujarat".

In his address, the AAP supremo said the news channels were being "threatened" in Gujarat not to invite AAP leaders for debates, including one where they discuss corruption allegations against AAP leaders like Manish Sisodia. He said nothing gets printed in Gujarat newspapers about AAP’s activities.

“There is one person Hiren Joshi in the PMO. He is the media adviser. Several big editors and owners of news channels have shown me the filthy abuses he has hurled in those messages. If you report about Kejriwal, we will show you. There is no need to show AAP. You are misusing the channel. What kind of threats are these?” Kejriwal said.

“I want to tell Joshi one thing. If someone shows the screenshots of the messages, and shares them on social media, both you and the Prime Minister will not be in a position to show their faces to the country…People have made recordings. If one day, someone releases it on social media, you will have no face…Stop doing such things,” he said.

Kejriwal said 169 "false" cases were registered against its lawmakers in Delhi in the name of fighting against corruption but there was not a single conviction in any case. He said there have been acquittals in 135 cases.

Expressing confidence that AAP will form government in Gujarat, he said AAP now has 1,446 public representatives, including MLAs, councillors and panchayat members in 20 states of the country.

"These are our seeds that God has sown for us. In Delhi and Punjab, these seeds have become trees and are giving shade and fruits to the people. God had sown 27 seeds in Gujarat which are going to become trees. We will form a government in Gujarat," he said.

Referring to Prime Minister Modi's criticism against freebies, he said AAP's freebies are being criticised on the ground that providing free facilities to people will ruin the economy of the country.

"Only a dishonest person, a corrupt and a traitor will say freebies are not good for the country. If any politician says freebies will ruin the country's economy, consider his intentions are wrong," he said.

"Those who are dishonest will say freebies are bad and one should understand that such a person will waive off debts of friends and break parties by buying MLAs to retain power," he added.

The AAP also announced that Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha will be co-incharge of the party in the poll-bound state. He was also associated with the party's victorious campaign in Punjab where AAP won 92 out of 117 seats to form the government.