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Indo-Israel centre helps farmers in UP

Indo-Israel centre helps farmers in UP

The exchange of technology in the agricultural sector is changing the lives of farmers in Uttar Pradesh…reports Asian Lite News

The Indo-Israel Centre for Excellence, located 200 metres off the Basti-Gorakhpur highway, started commercial operations and is helping increase the income of farmers.

The setting up of the centre on a Rs 7.5 crore budget started in October 2018 and the aim was to introduce innovations in farming by adopting Israeli technology.

The department of horticulture and food processing, which operates the centre, has started assisting non-farmers.

ALSO READ: Farm fury spills onto more Pak cities

“Any individual interested in planting a mango tree of the latest variety or an orchard can pick up ready saplings. Vegetable saplings are also available here. Earlier, we were catering to farmers only but now we provide saplings to everyone,” said joint director Atul Kumar Singh.

The centre, situated in Banjariya village of Basti Sadar Assembly constituency, is transforming the way farming is done in the area.

Rishi Yadav, a farmer from Sant Kabir Nagar (Khalilabad) plans to grow watermelons and muskmelons on his four-hectare land in Urdahwa and has placed an order for 53,000 saplings.

“All parties used to talk about farmers welfares and increasing their income till now, but nothing has happened on the ground. In the past two years, we have seen innovation in agriculture. Change is visible and one can spot cucumber, okra, sponge gourd and other vegetables in villages,” he said.

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India News Politics

What results mean for BJP

A victory in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections is especially crucial for the BJP in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, reports Asian Lite News

The victory in Uttar Pradesh, Manipur and Uttarakhand has come as a shot in the arm for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the backdrop of the farmers’ agitation, Covid-19 pandemic, inflation and unemployment — factors that were expected to hurt the party’s prospects.

Results for assembly elections to five states, held over February and March, were announced Thursday. While the BJP won the aforementioned three states and looked set to assume power in Goa — where it reached the halfway mark — Punjab went to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

A victory in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections is especially crucial for the BJP in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

With 80 Lok Sabha seats, the state is critical for the party in terms of laying the groundwork and generating momentum for its campaign to ensure a third consecutive term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The route to Delhi is via Lucknow. Since Uttar Pradesh has 80 seats in the Lok Sabha, it’s very important for the BJP to be in power in Uttar Pradesh to return to power in 2024…” Union Home Minister and the BJP’s chief strategist Amit Shah said in an interview last week.

The victory is also significant as it marks the first time in nearly 40 years that an incumbent government has been voted to power again in Uttar Pradesh.

Modi was the single most dominant factor for the BJP in UP, Uttarakhand and Manipur as the party campaign focussed on the benefits of a “double-engine” government, besides Covid-19 vaccination and the free rations scheme introduced to ease the blow of the pandemic on economically weaker sections. 

The victory can be seen as a stamp of approval for PM Modi’s pro-poor policies and the last-mile delivery of schemes.

UP Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, has risen as a formidable vote catcher for the BJP in the Hindi heartland. His brushes with controversies only add to his popularity, the results suggest, and a new Modi-Yogi iteration of Hindutva politics has reinforced the BJP in UP.

The voters had appeared anguished with inflation, stray cattle menace, poor Covid-19 management, and unemployment, but not enough to vote out the BJP government. A protracted agitation of farmers had minimal impact on the polls, as the BJP won many seats in its epicentre of west UP.

The election saw a decimation of the Bahujan Samaj Party, helping the BJP more than the SP. The Congress only helped in creating an atmosphere for the SP alliance, and barely opened its account.

Punjab’s voters have given a decisive mandate for an ‘alternative politics’ promised by the AAP, which won 92 out of 117 seats. AAP, which has been in power in Delhi for seven years, has built a reputation for its welfare schemes, particularly in health and education — two sectors that voters care a lot about.

That reputation stood AAP in good stead in Punjab, while the Congress and SAD were done in by the burden of their past sins. The projection of Bhagwant Mann as Chief Minister helped AAP, while the Congress seemed to have gained little by advertising the Dalit identity of Charanjit Singh Channi, who was appointed Chief Minister just five months ahead of the elections. The decimation of SAD signals the diminishing appeal of ‘Panthic’ or Sikh religious politics. The Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM) — an amalgamation of 22 Punjab-based farmer outfits that spearheaded the agitation that forced the Centre to withdraw three controversial farm laws that it had enacted — failed to make any political impact.

In Goa, the BJP retained power, though the Congress put up a spirited fight. Goans can breathe easy, now that the State is not heading to yet another round of skulduggery to form a government. The BJP was also helped by the division of votes by players such as the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), the Trinamool Congress, and AAP.

The BJP’s strategy of selecting candidates on the basis of ‘maximum winnability’ yielded rich dividends for the party. Manipur did not escape the general trend in the northeast, where people tend to vote for the party or coalition in power at the Centre since the States are dependent on Delhi for funds. The BJP emerged on top and the Congress cut a sorry figure, behind smaller parties such as the Naga People’s Front. The election was bereft of emotional issues, and the BJP gained from its development rhetoric. The demand for Scheduled Tribe status for the Meiteis, the community that dominates the Imphal and Jiribam valleys comprising 40 of the State’s 60 seats, failed to get traction. Neither did a controversial demand for greater autonomy to the tribal councils straddling the 20 constituencies in the hills.

In Uttarakhand, the BJP retained power despite setbacks it had to deal with, while the Congress squandered its chances, getting bogged down in internal power tussles. But the defeat of its Chief Minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, is a serious embarrassment for the BJP. A fresh face would mean a fourth person as Chief Minister in a little over a year.

ALSO READ-Split in opposition votes helped BJP in Goa: Chidambaram

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Unrest begins in Congress

The Congress’ disgruntled group is likely to convene a meeting on Saturday or Sunday to discuss the poll results as the leaders are upset with the party’s performance in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur….reports Asian Lite News

There is a simmering tension in the Congress after the poll debacle in the state elections and the leaders are miffed with the functioning style of the leadership. The issue may heat up when the G-23 leaders meet in the days to come.

One of the prominent leaders admitted that “it is the time that the first family step aside and pave the way for a new leadership or act in tandem with the party leaders and be available 24 by 7 for party work otherwise Congress revival will not happen in the country.”

The leaders point that the present setup is non performing and it has to be changed as the party is not ‘someone’s fiefdom’ and everyone has a stake in the party. They also suggest that leaders like Sachin Pilot or Manish Tewari should be given charge of the party.

One of the aides, who worked for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, now a rebel within is Pankaj Shankar. He tweeted, “Accountability needs to fixed for the rejection in recent elections Failed in your duties, not doing a favour to the Congress party”.

The Congress’ disgruntled group is likely to convene a meeting on Saturday or Sunday to discuss the poll results as the leaders are upset with the party’s performance in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur.

The G-23 group has been sidelined in the party since they raised the issue of reforms in the Congress and election for the top post.

Some G-23 leaders, whom the IANS contacted, refused to speak during the day after results — that turned out to be disappointing — and said they will formalise a strategy.

The group admitted that the people have lost confidence in Rahul Gandhi and his team has failed him, and now Priyanka’s team has also failed to perform.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said that they will analyse the poll loss.

This is not the first loss. The party has already lost crucial polls in Kerala and Assam where the party could have won.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted: “All of us who believe in @INCIndia are hurting from the results of the recent assembly elections. It is time to reaffirm the idea of India that the Congress has stood for and the positive agenda it offers the nation.

“And to reform our organisational leadership in a manner that will re-ignite those ideas and inspire the people. One thing is clear – Change is unavoidable if we need to succeed.”

Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said he accepted the people’s verdict and congratulated the winning parties.

ALSO READ: BJP considering Ajay Bhatt for Uttarakhand CM post

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Yogi busts ‘Noida jinx’

According to the latest trend, the BJP has won 21 and is leading in 231 assembly constituencies with 41.80 per cent vote share in Uttar Pradesh…reports Asian Lite News

After over three decades, Yogi Adityanath returned to power in Uttar Pradesh by breaking the ‘Noida jinx’, according to which any Chief Minister who visited the city loses power.

After becoming Chief Minister in 2017, Yogi Adityanath has visited Nodia multiple times to inaugurate, lay the foundation of several development projects and administrative work.

The Noida jinx was a talking point in the Uttar Pradesh power corridor after Chief Minister Veer Bahadur Singh had to step down in 1988 within a few days after his return from the city.

According to the latest trend, the BJP has won 21 and is leading in 231 assembly constituencies with 41.80 per cent vote share in Uttar Pradesh. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is leading from Gorakhpur Urban seat by over 90,000 votes.

Former Chief Ministers Kalyan Singh, Rajnath Singh and Mulayam Singh Yadav had avoided visiting Noida during their chief ministership. In recent times, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati visited Noida in 2007 after becoming chief minister and she lost the assembly polls in 2012. Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akshilesh Yadav also followed the trend during his five-year tenure from 2012.

During his visit to the city in January, Adityanath took a dig at Mayawati and Yadav by saying that power was more important for them so they were hesitant to visit Noida. When asked about the jinx, Noida MLA Pankaj Singh, who is currently leading, had said that Chief Minister Adityanath has personally taken care of development of the city and its people by visiting multiple times.

ALSO READ: BJP’s saffron surge in UP

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UP: BJP ahead in 248 seats, SP in 112

The Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) were leading in two and four Assembly constituencies respectively….reports Asian Lite News

The ruling BJP was leading in 248 seats and Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party (SP) was ahead in 112 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, the Election Commission trends on Thursday showed.

Trends were available for 399 seats of 403 till 12 noon. The Apna Dal (Sonelal) was leading in 12 Assembly seats and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) was leading in eight seats.

The Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) were leading in two and four Assembly constituencies respectively.

Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal is leading in five Assembly seats. The Jansatta Dal Loktantrik is leading in two seats, Janata Dal (United) in one, Jansatta Dal Loktantrik in two and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party in three.

Early vote share percentages showed — BJP has 42.38 per cent of votes counted, SP 31.64 per cent, RLD 3.37 per cent, BSP 12.77 per cent and Congress 2.47 per cent.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was leading from Gorakhpur Urban seat and deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya was trailing from Sirathu.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was leading from the Karhal Assembly constituency. Minister in Uttar Pradesh government Srikant Sharma was leading from Mathura.

Swami Prasad Maurya, who joined the SP before the elections, was trailing from Fazilnagar.

In Varanasi South in which Kashi Vishwanath Temple is situated, SP’s Kameshwar alias Kishan Dixit was trailing and minister in Yogi government Dr. Neelkanth Tiwari was leading.

Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar was leading from Zahoorabad.

ALSO READ: ‘UP mein Baba’: BJP begins celebrations

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-Top News India News Uttar Pradesh

‘UP mein Baba’: BJP begins celebrations

BJP workers were seen holding party flags playing Holi at the party office in Lucknow. They were raising slogans “UP mein ka ba? UP mein Baba”….reports Asian Lite News

Celebrations kicked off at the Bharatiya Janata Party office in Lucknow as State Assembly polls counting indicated that BJP is set to retain power in Uttar Pradesh with the party crossing the majority mark of 202 seats as per the Election Commission of India.

BJP workers were seen holding party flags playing Holi at the party office in Lucknow. They were raising slogans “UP mein ka ba? UP mein Baba”.

In addition, Gorakhpur MP and BJP leader Ravi Kishan distributed sweets as the early trends indicated a sweep for the party in Uttar Pradesh. “Modi Ji has always asked party workers and ministers should always work on the ground level and has brought us this win. This is the beginning of Ram Rajya,” he said.

According to early trends, BJP is leading on 247 seats in UP followed by Samajwadi Party on 111 seats.

UP BJP President Swatantra Dev Singh also said that people have rejected dynastic politics, and voted for the development.

“People have rejected dynastic politics and voted for development. We never thought that BSP will do so poorly. Samajwadi Party had also fought cleverly. I just want to say that political parties will have to work on the ground for the public,” Singh told ANI.

Samajwadi Party candidate Azam Khan is leading from Rampur constituency and Swami Prasad Maurya who is contesting UP Polls as Samajwadi Party candidate is trailing from Fazilnagar assembly seat.

On the other hand, OP Rajbhar of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party is leading from BJP’s Kalicharan on Zahoorabad constituency, according to ECI.

Counting of votes began at 8 am and will continue till the final results. (ANI)

ALSO READ: BJP, AAP script history in UP, Punjab

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BJP, AAP script history in UP, Punjab

BJP, AAP script history in UP, Punjab

As per the early trends in UP, the saffron party was leading on 155 seats and AAP ahead with 90 seats in Punjab, reports Asian Lite News

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party are set to script history in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab respectively. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath became the first BJP chief minister of the state to be elected for a second term in the country’s largest and most populous state.

As per the early trends in Uttar Pradesh, the saffron party was leading on 155 seats while Samajwadi Party was ahead on 97. The Bahujan Samaj Party didn’t seem to woo the voters, as it was leading on only 6 seats. The Congress party continued to show its dismal performance and was leading on only 4 seats.

The Assembly polls for 403 seats spread over 75 districts were held in seven phases between February 10 and March 7. More than 3.75 lakh voters exercised their franchise using ballot papers. The state’s Chief Electoral Officer Ajay Kumar Shukla said that 84 counting centres had been set up across Uttar Pradesh.

AAP sweep in Punjab

In Punjab, the multi-cornered electoral battle is probably heading for a comfortable victory for the AAP as the early trends gave an edge to the Bhagwant Mann-led party over the ruling Congress. The Shiromani Akali Dal was coming as the third party.

The exit polls had predicted a landslide victory for the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab. A total of 1,304 candidates, including 93 women and two transgenders, are in the fray. The state recorded a voter turnout of 71.95 per cent, the lowest percentage compared to the voting percentage in three previous Assembly polls.

Prominent faces who were trailing in the first two hours of counting of ballots included five-time former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from his bastion Lambi; Congress chief ministerial candidate and incumbent Charanjit Singh Channi on both seats — Chamkaur Sahib, a reserved seat that he has won three consecutive times, and Bhadaur in Barnala district; and Congress state unit chief Navjot Sidhu from Amritsar (East), the seat that came into being after 2012 delimitation and has backed Sidhu and his namesake wife — Navjot Kaur.

Congress rebel Capt Amarinder Singh, whose fledgling Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) is contesting the polls in alliance with the BJP and SAD (Sanyukt), is trailing from his ‘royal’ bastion Patiala (Urban).

AAP’s chief ministerial face and sitting MP Bhagwant Mann is leading from Dhuri, the seat from where he’s trying luck for the first time.

Sanyukt Samaj Morcha chief and its chief ministerial face Balbir Singh Rajewal is also trailing in Samrala. AAP’s first-timer Jagtar Singh is leading on that seat.

Counting for the 117 Assembly constituencies started at 8 a.m. Postal ballots were counted first.

A three-tier security system has been put in place.

The polls for the 117 Assembly constituencies were held on February 20 and a total 1,54,69,618 voters exercised their right to franchise.

The election results can be obtained from the official website of CEO Punjab — ceopunjab.gov.in or results.eci.gov.in. Also, results can also be obtained from voter helpline mobile application.

As per exit polls, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP is emerging as a major contender, while the Congress is struggling hard to retain power.

In the 2017 elections, the Congress had won an absolute majority by winning 77 seats in the 117-member assembly and ousted the SAD-BJP government after 10 years.

The AAP had emerged as the second-largest party, winning 20 seats.

SAD won 15 seats, while the BJP, which had a coalition government with the Akali Dal in Punjab from 2007 to 2017, secured three seats.

Goa set for close finish

In Goa, the exit polls had tipped a keen contest between the ruling BJP and the Congress and Goa Forward alliance, with neither being able to reach the magic figure of 21 in a 40-member state Assembly. However, the trends showed the grand-old party — Congress — ahead of its arch-rival BJP while the much-hyped AAP, as per the early trends, didn’t seem to impress the electorate at all as it was not leading on any seat.

Nearly 79 per cent voters cast ballots in the February 14 polls in Goa.

ALSO READ: AAP scoops Punjab

BJP landslide in Manipur

In Manipur, as per the early trends, the saffron party is heading for a landslide victory. According to the election officials, around 89.3 per cent of the 20,48,169-strong electorate cast their votes in the two-phase election to the 60-member Manipur Assembly on February 28 and March 5. This year’s voting percentage was higher than the 2017 and 2012 Assembly elections, when 86.4 per cent and 79.5 per cent electorate had exercised their franchise respectively.

In Uttarakhand, even as the BJP is leading in the early trends, it is still hard to predict the results as the Congress party is not much behind. The new-entrant AAP, like Goa, has failed to make any impact on the voters so far.

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India News Uttar Pradesh

UP has four Akhilesh Yadavs contesting in fourth phase

The three namesakes of the SP president are now waiting to see whether their luck matches Akhilesh Yadav’s luck when counting is held on March 10…reports Asian Lite News

What does a Congress candidate from Bikapur in Ayodhya, an independent from Gunnaur in Sambhal, Samajwadi Party candidates from Mubarakpur in Azamgarh and Karhal in Mainpuri have in common — they are all Akhilesh Yadavs.

While SP president Akhilesh Yadav is contesting from Karhal and is being seen as a chief ministerial candidate, his namesakes are also basking in reflected glory.

“I am getting good support in my constituency. People feel sympathetic towards me. I had lost the 2017 polls by a very thin margin. But now, they want Akhilesh Yadav to win. People say that one Akhilesh Yadav will be chief minister and Akhilesh Yadav should also be Mubarakpur’s MLA,” said Akhilesh Yadav from Mubarakpur.

When his name was announced from Mubarakpur, many thought that the SP president was contesting form two seats — Karhal and Mubarakpur.

Mubarakpur in Azamgarh district goes to polls in the seventh phase on March 7.

Congress candidate from Bikapur and the party’s Ayodhya district president Akhilesh Yadav said he joined the Congress in 2016 after moving out of the SP as he was not given respect.

He said, “A few days back, I was campaigning with my supporters in Bikapur. One of my supporters shouted ‘Akhilesh bhaiyya zindabaad’. This prompted some SP supporters, who were in the vicinity to raise slogans in my support.”

Later, they realised that they are actually raising slogans in favour of a Congress candidate, Yadav said.

“Some people also wonder how come the ‘haath kaa panjaa’ (Congress’ poll symbol) has become the SP election symbol,” Yadav said.

Independent candidate Akhilesh Yadav is testing the poll waters from Gunnaur in Sambhal district, which has already gone to polls. He said that though he was born with the name Lakhvendra Singh, his grandmother used to call him ‘Akhilesh’, and gradually others also started calling him by that name. “Akhilesh Yadav (the SP chief) is everything for us. Samajwadi (socialism) flows in our blood and it is in our genes. My father Ram Khiladi Singh is SP candidate,” he said.

The three namesakes of the SP president are now waiting to see whether their luck matches Akhilesh Yadav’s luck when counting is held on March 10.

ALSO READ: Hate speech: EC slaps 24-hr ban on BJP lawmaker

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India News Politics

The ‘armed’ candidates in Uttar Pradesh

BJP MLA from Malihabad, Jai Devi, wife of Union Minister of State Kaushal Kishore, has one pistol, while her son also has a pistol…reports Asian Lite News

More and more politicians are now displaying their love for firearms. Scrutiny of affidavits filed by candidates in Lucknow and Prayagraj reveals their penchant for weapons.

Former joint director of Enforcement Directorate (ED), Rajeshwar Singh, 48, who is now the BJP candidate from Sarojini Nagar assembly segment, owns a pistol and a rifle, while his wife, IG Laxmi Singh, also has a rifle, besides a pistol gifted by the Ministry of Home Affairs for being best probationer in 2000.

Sushila Saroj, 71, the Samajwadi Party candidate from Mohanlalganj, has a double-barrel gun, one rifle and a pistol purchased from MP quota. Her husband, Ram Prakash Saroj, also owns a double barrel, a revolver and a carbine.

BJP MLA from Malihabad, Jai Devi, wife of Union Minister of State Kaushal Kishore, has one pistol, while her son also has a pistol.

In Prayagraj, Apna Dal (S) candidate from Pratappur seat Rakesh Dhar Tripathi owns a rifle and a revolver worth Rs 2 lakh, while SP candidate from Pratappur, Vijama Yadav, also has a rifle worth Rs two lakh and a double-barrel rifle worth Rs 40,000.

Similarly, the BJP candidate from Allahabad South and UP Cabinet Minister Nand Gopal Gupta ‘Nandi’ owns a rifle, a pistol and a gun worth Rs 3 lakh. His wife and Prayagraj mayor, Abhilasha Gupta Nandi, also own a rifle, a pistol and a gun worth Rs 3 lakh.

Congress candidate from Allahabad North and four-time MLA, Anugrah Narain Singh, owns a revolver worth Rs 50,000 and a Mauser pistol worth Rs 40,000. His wife Gita Singh owns a .25 bore pistol and a .22 bore rifle costing Rs 27,700 each.

BJP MLA and candidate from Allahabad North seat Harsh Vardhan Bajpai also has a 9mm pistol costing Rs 2 lakh, and a single-barrel 12 bore rifle worth Rs 1 lakh.

BSP candidate from Allahabad South, Devendra Mishra Nagarha too has a revolver and double-barrel rifle, while Raish Chandra Shukla of SP, fighting elections from the same seat, has a revolver.

BSP candidate from Koraon assembly seat, Rajbali Jaisal and Congress candidate from the same seat, Ram Kripal have three weapons each. They have a revolver, a rifle and a double-barrel gun.

Apna Dal (S) candidate from Bara, Vachaspati, also has a double-barrel gun, a rifle and a revolver. His wife, too, has a pistol.

ALSO READ-UP POLLS: 35.03% voting recorded till 1.00 pm

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India News Uttar Pradesh

AAP mulls post-poll alliance to oust BJP in UP

Kejriwal began his two-day Uttar Pradesh tour from Monday to drum up support for party candidates in the ongoing Assembly polls…reports Asian Lite News

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, has said if there is a hung Assembly in Uttar Pradesh, then AAP will enter into a post-poll alliance to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out of power in the state.

“All surveys are indicating a hung Assembly in the state. In such a situation, we will form an alliance to keep the BJP out of the government, if needed. We will fulfil promises of free 24-hour electricity, better schools and hospitals even by supporting other party against BJP in case of hung assembly,” Kejriwal, who is on a two-day campaign tour in Uttar Pradesh, told reporters.

Kejriwal began his two-day Uttar Pradesh tour from Monday to drum up support for party candidates in the ongoing Assembly polls.

He said that if people of UP want Delhi-like government, schools and hospitals, then they all must vote for the AAP without worrying how many seats it will win the election.


The Delhi chief minister also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of calling him a “terrorist”.

“Despite ruling the country for years, these parties did not have a single concrete work to talk about and that is why, they are calling me a terrorist. Tell me, if any terrorist has built schools/hospitals in the world? Does any terrorist arrange pilgrimages for elders?” he asked.

He further said, “The BJP conducted raids at my house and office with help of all agencies but they did not get anything. When I asked what was found at my house, I was told nothing. When I asked why the raids were conducted then I was told that some poet lives in Ghaziabad who said I am a terrorist. I came in his dream and told him seven years ago that I would divide India into two parts and become the prime minister of one,” he said.

“I request the Prime Minister to do away with agencies like RAW, CBI, ED and keep that poet instead. He will tell who is a terrorist and who is not,” said Kejriwal.

He further said, “Terrorists are of two types. One who scares the public and the other who scares the corrupt. Kejriwal is the terrorist who scares the corrupt.”

In a lighter vein, he said, “When someone commits corruption for 100 miles, mother says just sleep, otherwise Kejriwal will come,” he said referring to a dialogue from popular Bollywood film ‘Sholay’.

Attacking opposition parties, Kejriwal said, “Both the BJP and the Congress have been wiped out from Delhi. If given a chance, all other parties will be wiped out from here too,” he added.

The AAP leader cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech and said, “The Prime Minister said those who ride bicycle are terrorists. This is an insult to bicycle riders. When you vote, tell them it’s the BJP people who are terrorists, not the ones who ride bicycles.”

ALSO READ: Road to power in UP goes through reserved seats