On a day the Aam Admi Party launched its national membership drive, it’s Gujarat unit accused the Narendra Modi government of snooping on the party leaders and workers and misusing the government machinery to ‘harass’ the party in the state.
Addressing a hurriedly called press conference on Friday evening, AAP’s state convenor, Sukhdev Patel said the party would approach the authorities in this regard and also lodge an FIR with the police against unidentified workers for running a denigrating the party.
Patel alleged that Gujarat government’s local intelligence bureau has been keeping an eye on the movement of party workers and their relatives. “The IB is snooping on the party workers and leaders. They are trying to harass and threaten us this way.”
Patel further alleged Modi of following the footsteps of former Prime Minister, late Indira Gandhi by giving them an emergency-like experience. “Mr Modi himself has been a victim of emergency imposed by the late Mrs Indira Gandhi. But in a race to become a prime minister, he himself is following Gandhi’s footsteps by illegally snooping the political opponents,” said Patel while speaking to the media persons at the AAP’s office in city.
Meanwhile, AAP’s Ahmedabad district unit has also filed a police complaint of unauthorized campaigning, cheating and misguiding people by false toll-free number by three persons in Ahmedabad.
AAP’s Gujarat membership has crossed 1.25 lakh members. It has now begun the candidate selection process for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The final announcement of candidates is likely to be made by the first-week of February.
Speaking about the challenges in the state, Kanubhai Kalsaria a farmers’ leader and former BJP MLA said, “The Delhi fight was tough and so is in Gujarat. But people in Gujarat want a third alternative. We are getting support from all quarters of society.”
The party has planned to take out a ‘Jhadoo yatra’ across Gujarat during January 26-31. It is also planning to stage protest against the lack of basic infrastructure like water and sanitation at the municipal schools in parts of Ahmedabad on Saturday.