Delhi Election 2015: AAP slams BJP over ‘casteist’ ad

NEW DELHI: A war of words broke out between Aam Aadmi Party and BJP over an advertisement that the latter got published in major newspapers on Monday. AAP slammed BJP for saying in the advertisement that Arvind Kejriwal belonged to a gotra (sub-caste) of upadravi (rowdy) people. Kejriwal, whose gotra is Agarwal, demanded an apology from BJP for having insulted the entire community.
The party later lodged a complaint with the election commission against BJP.
In response, BJP also filed a case against AAP with the EC alleging that AAP had given a caste colour to the ad.
This advertisement was the third of a series that started on Friday. Kejriwal, who has been caricatured in all the ads, on Monday said: “What has happened to BJP? First they targeted my children. Anna said that we should be resilient. I have never reacted to personal insults, but today BJP crossed all limits. Today, it has called the entire Agarwal community upadravi. They have called my gotra upadravi. BJP’s fight is with me. How can they call the entire Agarwal community that? BJP has stooped to casteist attacks. It should apologize to the entire community. We will complain to the EC. People of Delhi don’t like politics of abuse. They will respond appropriately on the day of the election.”
Monday’s ad showed Kejriwal waving a broom at a marching contingent during the Republic Day parade. It refers to his dharna last year saying that he first threatened to disrupt the parade and one year later demanded a VIP pass for it.
BJP defended this move, saying that Kejriwal was misreading a political metaphor and giving it an unnecessary casteist colour. Piyush Goel, power minister said: “Use of the word gotra in the ad is a political metaphor which it seems AAP has failed to understand.”
BJP had found itself on the defensive with the first advertisement as well in which it showed Kejriwal swearing upon his children that he will not take support from Congress to form government. In the background was a garlanded picture of Anna Hazare, which, according to Hindu traditions, is done only when a person is no more. Even then, BJP had said that it was a caricature to show how Kejriwal has deserted his mentor.