After alleging that his visit to Surat on July 10 had to be cancelled at the behest of the BJP, Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal will visit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state on Saturday,
After alleging that his visit to Surat on July 10 had to be cancelled at the behest of the BJP, Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal will visit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state on Saturday, and offer prayers at the famous Somnath temple. Mr Kejriwal’s two-day visit to Gujarat comes after the party’s announcement to contest Assembly elections in the state next year.
The Delhi CM is expected to meet party workers ahead of gearing up for the Assembly polls in Gujarat scheduled to be held in the second half of 2017.
Mr Kejriwal’s scheduled visit to Surat on July 10 was cancelled earlier after a trade body withdrew its invitation which, AAP alleged, was because of the intervention of the BJP government in the state. The AAP chief had then accused Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel of cancelling his Surat visit.
“Anandiben ji has cancelled my Surat visit, but as Lord Shiva has called me, I will visit Somnath on July 9, a programme for which is in place,” Mr Kejriwal had tweeted.
Surat Vehapari Mahamandal withdrew its invite to Mr Kejriwal after the South Gujarat University cancelled the booking of a hall on its premises where the meeting was to be held.
As per the earlier schedule, Mr Kejriwal was to kick-start AAP’s campaign for the 2017 assembly elections in Gujarat after seeking the blessings of Lord Somnath and addressing a gathering in Surat.
The Delhi chief minister will also visit Punjab on July 18 and perform ‘sewa’ at the Golden Temple. The proposed visit will be his second trip to the state in a fortnight.
