A buoyed Arvind Kejriwal, freshly freed of corruption charges, on Sunday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ability and desire to govern and projected himself as the "kattar imaandar" (staunchly honest) leader who can take him on.
The former Delhi chief minister was addressing his first rally after a special court quashed the liquor policy case against him and his Aam Aadmi Party colleagues on Friday.
At the venue on Jantar Mantar road — site of the 2011 Lokpal agitation that sired the AAP — supporters assembled from across the country chanted: "Padha likha damdar hai, Kejriwal imaandar hai (Educated and powerful, Kejriwal is honest)."
Kejriwal told the gathering: "I was chief minister for 10 years…. Let one contractor, one vendor of the Delhi government stand up and say that Kejriwal demanded money. Friends, I shall leave politics."
He added: "...When someone betrays the country, when someone insults the country, my blood boils…. In 2014, fed up with the Congress's corruption, people gave Modiji a government with a full majority and with great expectations….
"I want to ask you, it's been 12 years since Modiji came to power. Did you get anything? Did your lives improve? What did you get? There are no good roads, no drinking water, no sewerage, no 24-hour electricity, and the air is polluted."
Kejriwal continued: "Friends, many of you must have been to Dubai, America, Germany, France, Tokyo. What wonderful roads they have! Vehicles run at speeds of 130 kilometres per hour — 140, 150, 160km — and go to Gujarat….
"In Gujarat, cars travel at a speed of 30km. I'm not lying. I just left Rajkot. Junagadh is 104km from Rajkot. It takes four hours to travel 104km. Why four hours at a speed of 30km? Potholes. Potholes. Potholes.
"The world (humanity) has reached the moon. Yet, they haven't removed the potholes on the roads in 12 years."
The AAP national convener went on: "Until 2014, Beijing had more pollution than us. There was so much pollution. There was so much pollution. In 12 years, Beijing eliminated its pollution. Today, breathing is becoming difficult throughout north India…. (Our) friends say they'll build a Viksit Bharat. Forget about a developed India, at least build a livable India.”
Kejriwal and other speakers at the rally questioned not just the Prime Minister’s ability but his intent.
"Some people say Modiji doesn't know how to run the country. My point is, friends, he neither knows how to run the country nor has any interest in running the country, nor does he want to run the government," Kejriwal said.
"He has nothing to do with the country. The country can go to hell for all he cares. He has only one thing: a lust for power. He wants only power. From morning until evening, Mota Bhai and Modiji sit around, figuring out how to grab power. They hatch all sorts of conspiracies to gain power."