AAP leader Kumar Vishwas speaks at a rally in Amethi.
There were protests today at Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas' rally in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi, the high-profile parliamentary constituency represented by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Mr Vishwas has announced that he will be contesting for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi and posing a direct challenge to Mr Gandhi.
Here are the highlights of what he said:
- If anybody has the misconception that we'll leave, we will not leave. All the Congress people who have shown black flags to us - I tell them, the country is calling out to you - come together: Kumar Vishwas at rally in Amethi
- People called me a joker, questioned my contesting against Rahul Gandhi. A joker is a good person. A joker doesn't sell the country: Kumar Vishwas
- We didn't want to fight elections. We were challenged. Alive or dead - we will not leave Amethi: Kumar Vishwas
- You sent hooligans, waved black flags, threw eggs - I will come alone, do what you want. If violence makes the situation any better, I will come to you: Kumar Vishwas
- I will not go to a Dalits house and have dinner, and then call TV crews to cover it. When you sit down to eat, you should think whether a Dalit has had his meal or not: Kumar Vishwas' dig at Rahul Gandhi
- Sonia Gandhi ji, you keep going abroad for treatment. Do you not trust people in your own country? If you can't trust the 'sons' of your own country, how can I trust yours: Kumar Vishwas
- If you think we will be scared of blag flags, you are wrong. We weren't scared when we exposed the scam of the 'maharani's damad' (Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law, Robert Vadra): Kumar Vishwas
- Anyone can come to Amethi, I don't need to take a visa from Rahul Gandhi to come here: Kumar Vishwas
- The way will become even easier for us if Congress makes such attempts: Kumar Vishwas
- Let anything happen to me, we (AAP) will not leave Amethi: Kumar Vishwas
- The way everyone welcomed us in Amethi... that shows that people want a change here as well: Kumar Vishwas
- Sloganeering, throwing eggs, stone pelting... all this should not be coming from the Congress party, it will be in the history of the Congress: Kumar Vishwas