Arvind Kejriwal interacts with people of Gujarat at a gathering in Ahmedabad.
emerged from a police station in Radhanpur, north Gujarat, to confirm that he had been stopped briefly on his tour of the state by senior cops, who questioned him on whether he has permission to hold his road show.
He alleged that this was Gujarat Chief Minister
Narendra Modi's attempt to harass him because "we are exposing all claims of development and clean governance." The AAP chief alleged that he has ascertained since this morning that "Modi is completely anti-common man and anti-farmers and there's been no development" in Gujarat.
The police said Mr Kejriwal was not detained, but was called to the police station to ensure his safety. As he drives through Gujarat, his cavalcade has encountered groups of protesters waving black flags. Mr Kejriwal alleged that they have been fielded by Mr Modi.
The former tax inspector is on a four-day tour of Mr Modi's homestead to audit his performance as the man who has governed Gujarat for nearly 13 years. "(They say) education has developed, health issues have been resolved, corruption has been finished... so we have come here to see that development in Gujarat," Mr Kejriwal said after landing in Ahmedabad today.
(Show me the development, says Arvind Kejriwal in Narendra Modi's Gujarat)
Some time later, he sat under a tree in a village in north-west Ahmedabad, had a simple question for the crowd of about 200 surrounding him. "If you are unhappy with Narendra Modi, why did you vote for him?"
The villagers shared stories that contradict the claims of development that Mr Modi, the BJP's candidate for Prime Minister, has centre-pieced in his campaign.
The women in the audience said government schools are sub-standard and hospitals non-existent. The men said they pay bribes to government officers. Most of these villagers were AAP supporters.
Opinion polls predict that the BJP, led by Mr Modi, will emerge as the largest party but will fall short of a majority in the general election that begins on April 7. Results will be declared on May 16.
Since Mr Kejriwal resigned as the Chief Minister of Delhi last month, he has been expending his efforts on campaigning and strategising for the national election. His Aam Aadmi Party or AAP has suggested that Mr Kejriwal will run against Mr Modi if the BJP leader runs for Parliament from anywhere outside Gujarat.