Rajkot/Somnath: After the ‘Darshan and Abhishek’ at Somnath temple in Gujarat today, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Admi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal said that he sought ‘power’ from the lord to fight with the ‘evil’ forces.

Mr. Kejariwal, who arrived at Rajkot airport this morning, came to the ancient shrine situated on the coast of Arabian sea, by road and performed Puja and Abhishek with parents, wife Sunita and AAP leader Kumar Vishwas and his wife and president of the Gujarat unit of AAP Kanu Kalsaria.

He also visited other shrines and temples like Bhalka Teerth (where Lord Krishna is believed to have left his mortal body) in and around Somnath.

Later in a brief interaction with newsmen, the Delhi CM said that he felt great peace after having Darshan of lord Somnath. ‘There can’t be a better feeling than having Darshan and Puja with family and friends. I sought from the lord the power to fight the evil forces,’ Mr. Kejariwal said.

Though Mr. Kejariwal would have limited interaction with common people during his visit, which is being touted by some as the beginning of his electoral campaign for the next year’s assembly polls in the state, Mr Kejriwal would also interact with farmers of the coastal belt in Gir-Somnath district and later in Keshod in Junagadh and Jetalsar in Bhavnagar district on his way back to Rajkot where he will have a night halt and will leave for Delhi by air the next day ie tomorrow.

Meanwhile, some of the AAP supporters who had welcomed the Delhi CM at the Rajkot airport and were accompanying him till Somnath, had a scuffle with some of the employees of a toll point on the Rajkot-Veraval highway. They were not willing to pay the toll tax claiming that during the events of ruling BJP and even main opposition Congress toll points did not collect tax from the activists.

Mr. Kejriwal’s visit is taking place a few day after the controversy regarding the cancellation of his Surat visit slated for July 10. It is also taking place at a time when the assembly election in this home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to be held next year. Though AAP failed to open its account in the last Loksabha and Vidhansabha polls in the state, it is said to be eying the next assembly polls and trying to woo the Patidar voters, which are traditionally supporters of the ruling BJP.

Update:

Addressing a public meeting organized to welcome him, Mr Kejriwal also said that his party would organize a big rally in Gujarat in next one to two months and he would go for a door-to-door campaign for the next year’s assembly polls in the state.

The AAP leader said that he would visit Gujarat time and again and his party would contest the assembly polls in the state and field capable candidates.

Playing Hardik card again, the Delhi CM, who had raised controversy a few weeks ago by questioning the charges of sedition against the jailed Patidar quota stir leader, said that Hardik was slapped with sedition charges for raising the demand of reservation for his community while the one ( referring shunted Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse) who talked to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim has gone scot-free. This is BJP rule.

He claimed that the farmers in Gujarat were not getting proper compensation while his government in Delhi was doing so honestly. ‘The farmers are not happy here neither are the businessmen. The government did not hear them and did not give excise duty relief to them.The corrupts are ruling here who don’t care for farmers or others.

Earlier, while on his way to Somnath from Rajkot airport where he landed in a chartered flight this morning, Mr Kejariwal told newsmen at a farmhouse in Pardi village during a short stopover for refreshment that his Surat visit was cancelled as the Gujarat Chief minister compelled the organizers to cancel the event.

His wife Mrs Sunita Kejriwal, on the occasion said that she had come to Gujarat to have a first time darshan of Lord Somnath about whom he had heard a lot. Mr. Kejriwal’s father Govindram Kejriwal and Mother Geeta Devi have also come for the darshan.

The Delhi CM will leave for Delhi tomorrow after a night halt at Rajkot tonight.

DeshGujarat