AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s 10-day meditation retreat in Punjab has sparked a political storm, with opposition attacking his extensive security at taxpayers’ expense. Once a VIP culture critic, Kejriwal now faces accusations of hypocrisy amid speculation over his political future, writes Rajesh Moudgil
Kejriwal and his wife Sunita were in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district to attend a 10-day meditation camp at the Dhamma Dhaja Vipassana Centre, village Anandgarh, near Hoshiarpur from March 5.
Though it is his second meditation course here, it is the first time he has come under heavy fire from opposition parties for his “lavish security cover at the cost of taxpayers’ money’’. The opposition leaders slammed what they termed as Kejriwal’s “hypocrisy’’ reminding how the AAP top leadership once vowed to end VIP culture.
Kejriwal had come to attend a similar course here from December 21 to December 30, 2023.
Vipassana, an ancient meditation technique rooted in the teachings of Gautam Buddha, is taught in a 10-day residential course at the said centre during which the participants are not allowed any kind of communication – verbal or gestural – with anyone, except for meditation related discussion.
The couple had reached the Forest Rest House, village Chohal, Hoshiarpur, reportedly in a huge cavalcade of 30 vehicles including bulletproof Land Cruisers and about 80 commandos and Punjab police personnel.
Senior Punjab Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa, who is also Leader of Opposition in Punjab assembly, took a dig at the AAP leader stating that when AAP emerged, its leaders promised to end VIP culture and said that the leaders who demanded security should leave politics.
“Regretfully, yesterday, the cavalcade (of Arvind Kejriwal) contained 32 cars…Even today, 80 commandos of Punjab Police are in Kapurthala House to safeguard Kejriwal ji…Bhagwant Mann, who is both not mentally and physically stable, needs ‘Vipassana’ the most…They have done everything opposite to what they had said’’, Bajwa told newspersons.
Pargat Singh, Congress MLA from Punjab’s Jalandhar Cantt, flayed the AAP leader saying “Vipassana is for peace and relaxation of mind and what is the idea behind Kejriwal’s high-decibel entry for this. He went on further quip that a leader who used to boast that he was still using his WagonR car is misusing the resources of Punjab and it is because of such leaders that people have lost faith in politicians.”
AAP MP (Rajya Sabha) representing Delhi Swati Maliwal also slammed Kejriwal, saying Kejriwal, who criticised the whole world for VIP culture, was roaming around with a security cover bigger than Donald Trump’s.
BJP leader and Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa also hit out at asking what kind of Vipassana required a huge security parade funded by Punjab taxpayers.
He took to X to hit out at Kejriwal: “Arvind Kejriwal, who once pretended to be a common man in a WagonR, now moves in a lavish convoy of bulletproof Land Cruisers, 100+ Punjab Police commandos, jammers & ambulances—like a VIP Maharaja all for Vipassana, a retreat meant for peace! If power was his test, he has failed miserably. What kind of ‘Vipassana’ requires a grand security parade funded by Punjab taxpayers? Even CM Bhagwant Mann isn’t in the convoy! AAP’s truth is out—deception, hypocrisy, and VIP arrogance at its peak!’’
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chug asked in which capacity does Kejriwal use Punjab resources as he is neither Delhi CM nor an MLA and has even been holding Punjab department meetings.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) spokesperson Daljeet Singh Cheema too assailed the AAP leader asking why the entire Punjab administration is on duty for a man with no constitutional post.
However, AAP state president Aman Arora hit back at the opposition leaders asking what is wrong if Kejriwal went in convoy while going to Hoshiarpur Vipassana Centre? Stating that Kejriwal is the convenor of a national party, he asked, what is wrong in giving him security. Arora further said that Kejriwal also has `Z’ category security cover given by the Union ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Pertinently, the controversy has been whipped up at a time when speculations are agog about Kejriwal’s potential entry into the Rajya Sabha after AAP’s drubbing in the recent Delhi polls. The BJP came to power in Delhi after 27 years by winning 48 out of 70 seats while AAP got only 22 seats thus ending its decade-old regime there.
