Farrukhabad:
Arvind Kejriwal has reached Salman Khurshid's constituency Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh an hour and half late for a rally he has called to highlight corruption charges against the External Affairs Minister. The activist-turned-politician had set out well in time from Lucknow this morning, but was stopped by the minister's supporters about 30 kilometres away from Farrukhabad.
There were also reports of clashes between India Against Corruption activists and Congress workers at the venue.
Protesters wearing caps with the legend "Main hoon Salman Khurshid" (I am Salman Khurshid) and waving black flags stopped the cars Mr Kejriwal and his team were traveling in at Malikpur. The police intervened and ensured there was no more trouble. But that delayed Mr Kejriwal who was scheduled to address the India Aganist Corruption rally at the Lohia Park in Farrukhabad's Awas Vikas at 1 pm.
About 5,000 have gathered at the park; the administration says it expects about 10,000 to attend. Rhetoric has been high before the rally, with Mr Khurshid's local supporters making clear they are unhappy and though they have now promised only peaceful protests, the police is taking no chances. 600 cops have been stationed in Farrukhabad today to ensure peace; this includes two companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary. A temporary prison has been set up and a senior cop said, "We have also arranged for buses (to pack off the protesters). In case of any nuisance, we will immediately arrest the protesters and send them to jail," he said.
India Against Corruption banners and posters dot the venue and Mr Kejriwal's supporters have begun making speeches. Before he left Lucknow for Farrukhabad today, Mr Kejriwal said, "The Prime Minister did not agree to our demand to dismiss Mr Khurshid until a probe against him was done. So we're going to the people of Farrukhabad and asking those who voted for Mr Khurshid to dismiss him."
Mr Kejriwal's rally is pegged around the alleged misuse of central funds for the differently-abled by an NGO that Mr Khurshid and his wife run. The Zakir Hussain Memorial trust, named for the minister's father, is alleged to have siphoned off over Rs 71 lakh by holding 'fake' camps for the differently-abled across Uttar Pradesh. Mr Khurshid has denied the charges, has sued the television channel that aired a purported sting operation and has said he is ready to face any probe.
The Congress' answer to Mr Kejriwal's demand was a big promotion for Mr Khurshid in Sunday's reshuffle. "This government rewards the corrupt," Mr Kejriwal retaliated. Mr Khurshid's promotion came days after he was caught on camera, surrounded by supporters, threatening Mr Kejriwal. "So far I was working with a pen, but now will also work with blood...The road to Farrukhabad is long. Let him go there... we will see how he comes back," he had said.
Today, Mr Khurshid, who is in Delhi, sought to demonstrate that for him it was business as usual. He refused comment on Mr Kejriwal's rally and when asked about his ink and blood statement last week, would only say, "What's wrong with ink?"
Mr Khurshid's local supporters, after initially warning that they would "send him (Mr Kejriwal) back with a blackened face," now say they will "blacken him by exposing his wrongdoings." They have also organized Khurshid masks and the special "Main hoon Salman Khurshid" caps which are a sartorial comeback to the cap that declares "main aam aadmi hoon" (I am the common man) which Mr Kejriwal and his team have worn since he launched his as yet unnamed political party last month.
To try and trip the activist-turned-politician even before he entered Farrukhabad, the Congress also released audio CDs that it alleges has a conversation between Mr Khushid's wife Louise and India Against Corruption convener Lakshman Singh, where the male voice on tape suggests that Mr Kejriwal's anti-Khurshid rally can be cancelled if a Congress functionary in Farrukhabad is removed from his post. An unfazed Mr Kejriwal said today that the CD was doctored. "This is the same Lousie Khurshid who forged the signatures of government officers and made fake affidavits. She is famous for doing this so it is possible that this CD too could be doctored," he said. His aide Mr Singh said that the only "solution" he was offering was that the rally could be called off if Mr Khurshid and his wife visit Farrukhabad, apologise to the people and give aid to the disabled.
In his support on Mr Khurshid's home turf, Mr Kejriwal has the Bhartiya Kisan Union, an organisation of farmers that had said men armed with lathis or sticks would protect the activist as he arrived in Farrukhabad. But the local police has banned lathis at Mr Kejriwal's rally much to the chagrin of the farmers, one of whom said, "Lathi, cap and our identity badge is a part of Bhartiya Kisan Union's dress code. We take them everywhere rallies are organised. What's possible is that we can hoist flags on our lathis."
Farmers are extending their support to Mr Kejriwal because he has been taking on political parties for acquiring land from farmers under false pretexts and then handing it over for large profits to businesses.
There were also reports of clashes between India Against Corruption activists and Congress workers at the venue.
Protesters wearing caps with the legend "Main hoon Salman Khurshid" (I am Salman Khurshid) and waving black flags stopped the cars Mr Kejriwal and his team were traveling in at Malikpur. The police intervened and ensured there was no more trouble. But that delayed Mr Kejriwal who was scheduled to address the India Aganist Corruption rally at the Lohia Park in Farrukhabad's Awas Vikas at 1 pm.
About 5,000 have gathered at the park; the administration says it expects about 10,000 to attend. Rhetoric has been high before the rally, with Mr Khurshid's local supporters making clear they are unhappy and though they have now promised only peaceful protests, the police is taking no chances. 600 cops have been stationed in Farrukhabad today to ensure peace; this includes two companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary. A temporary prison has been set up and a senior cop said, "We have also arranged for buses (to pack off the protesters). In case of any nuisance, we will immediately arrest the protesters and send them to jail," he said.
India Against Corruption banners and posters dot the venue and Mr Kejriwal's supporters have begun making speeches. Before he left Lucknow for Farrukhabad today, Mr Kejriwal said, "The Prime Minister did not agree to our demand to dismiss Mr Khurshid until a probe against him was done. So we're going to the people of Farrukhabad and asking those who voted for Mr Khurshid to dismiss him."
Mr Kejriwal's rally is pegged around the alleged misuse of central funds for the differently-abled by an NGO that Mr Khurshid and his wife run. The Zakir Hussain Memorial trust, named for the minister's father, is alleged to have siphoned off over Rs 71 lakh by holding 'fake' camps for the differently-abled across Uttar Pradesh. Mr Khurshid has denied the charges, has sued the television channel that aired a purported sting operation and has said he is ready to face any probe.
The Congress' answer to Mr Kejriwal's demand was a big promotion for Mr Khurshid in Sunday's reshuffle. "This government rewards the corrupt," Mr Kejriwal retaliated. Mr Khurshid's promotion came days after he was caught on camera, surrounded by supporters, threatening Mr Kejriwal. "So far I was working with a pen, but now will also work with blood...The road to Farrukhabad is long. Let him go there... we will see how he comes back," he had said.
Today, Mr Khurshid, who is in Delhi, sought to demonstrate that for him it was business as usual. He refused comment on Mr Kejriwal's rally and when asked about his ink and blood statement last week, would only say, "What's wrong with ink?"
Mr Khurshid's local supporters, after initially warning that they would "send him (Mr Kejriwal) back with a blackened face," now say they will "blacken him by exposing his wrongdoings." They have also organized Khurshid masks and the special "Main hoon Salman Khurshid" caps which are a sartorial comeback to the cap that declares "main aam aadmi hoon" (I am the common man) which Mr Kejriwal and his team have worn since he launched his as yet unnamed political party last month.
To try and trip the activist-turned-politician even before he entered Farrukhabad, the Congress also released audio CDs that it alleges has a conversation between Mr Khushid's wife Louise and India Against Corruption convener Lakshman Singh, where the male voice on tape suggests that Mr Kejriwal's anti-Khurshid rally can be cancelled if a Congress functionary in Farrukhabad is removed from his post. An unfazed Mr Kejriwal said today that the CD was doctored. "This is the same Lousie Khurshid who forged the signatures of government officers and made fake affidavits. She is famous for doing this so it is possible that this CD too could be doctored," he said. His aide Mr Singh said that the only "solution" he was offering was that the rally could be called off if Mr Khurshid and his wife visit Farrukhabad, apologise to the people and give aid to the disabled.
In his support on Mr Khurshid's home turf, Mr Kejriwal has the Bhartiya Kisan Union, an organisation of farmers that had said men armed with lathis or sticks would protect the activist as he arrived in Farrukhabad. But the local police has banned lathis at Mr Kejriwal's rally much to the chagrin of the farmers, one of whom said, "Lathi, cap and our identity badge is a part of Bhartiya Kisan Union's dress code. We take them everywhere rallies are organised. What's possible is that we can hoist flags on our lathis."
Farmers are extending their support to Mr Kejriwal because he has been taking on political parties for acquiring land from farmers under false pretexts and then handing it over for large profits to businesses.
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