PM Modi 'anti-tribal', plotted to finish AAP, JMM: Kejriwal

Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), May 21 (PTI) Labelling Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "anti-tribal" who put the "tallest tribal leader of the country" behind bars, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday accused him of plotting to topple elected governments of AAP and JMM.

He also launched a scathing attack on the BJP and its spokesperson Sambit Patra for remarks that "Lord Jagannath is Modi's devotee" and urged people to "crush their arrogance".

"PM Modi plotted to finish AAP and JMM but we got stronger and he could not topple Delhi, Punjab, Jharkhand governments," Kejriwal said while addressing an election rally here.

"The PM put all his forces to keep me in the jail but I am a devotee of Bajrangbali and a miracle happened. I am on bail... soon Hemant Soren, whom he has kept in the jail, will be out... Soren's wife Kalpana is challenging Modi like 'Jhansi ki Rani'. No court has found Hemant Soren or Arvind Kejriwal guilty... it is nothing but PM Modi's 'gundagardi' (hooliganism)," Kejriwal alleged.

Alleging that "PM Modi hates tribals", the AAP supremo appealed to electors not to vote for the BJP as it would amount to betrayal with Jharkhand and the tribals.

"If you press the button with lotus symbol (of BJP), Hemant Soren will remain in jail... it will be a betrayal with the Jharkhand and tribal community. President Droupadi Murmu was not invited during the consecration of Ram Mandir only because she is a tribal... if tribals remain silent, oppression will continue," he said.

The Delhi CM alleged that the BJP is seeking 400 seats as it wants to stop the reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs.

He urged the people to "remove PM Modi and save the nation" because if Modi is re-elected, "the Constitution and reservations would stand destroyed".

Kejriwal asserted that the INDIA bloc will form the government at the Centre.

Addressing the rally, Kalpana Soren said the central government conspired and put her husband behind the bars to influence the Lok Sabha polls.

"The government had also sent Kejriwal ji to jail but he is among us today," she said.

"The Union government is scared of Hemant Soren, who launched several welfare schemes, handled COVID pandemic effectively, ensured the return of migrant labourers and reunited them with their families during the lockdown," she claimed.

Appealing to people to vote for JMM candidate for Jamshedpur Lok Sabha seat, Samir Mohanty, she said the "keys of the jail's lock lies with their votes".

AAP MP Sanjay Singh said, "We tell them (BJP) to send us all to jail but we will keep fighting against the autocratic Modi regime. The country will function according to the Constitution not as per BJP's diktat." PTI