Kejriwal vows to take fight from Parliament Street to Farrukhabad

Activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal on Monday exhorted the people to burn the effigies of “present day demons” instead of Ravana, Kumbhkarna and Meghnad.

Activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal on Monday exhorted the people to burn the effigies of “present day demons” instead of Ravana, Kumbhkarna and Meghnad.

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“This Dussehra, we are not burning the effigies of traditional mythical demons — Ravan, Meghdoot and Kumbhakarna. Let us burn the present-day demons,” Kejriwal said.

The announcement came minutes after he declared that he would end his protest against the alleged embezzlement of funds in an NGO headed by Union law minister Salman Khurshid and vowed to launch a fresh campaign at Khurshid’s constituency Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh from November 1.

With India Against Corruption (IAC) team joining Rashtriya Vikalang Party over the alleged fund misuse by Khurshid’s trust, Kejriwal had sought to raise the heat over the issue when his team paraded listed beneficiaries who publicly claimed they received no benefit reportedly offered by the NGO.

Around 11.15 am, when Kejriwal addressed the gathering at Parliament Street, he first introduced Vivek Yadav, a social worker from Mainpuri, one of the districts where camps for disabled people were reported to be held by Khurshid’s trust.

“We got a few names, of which two people are untraceable. Another one we could trace said he is not disabled and that the trust people had promised him benefit under the disabled quota for his eye operation.”

Pankaj Kumar from Jinahi village in that district claimed: “I am not hearing impaired but have a problem with my leg. I am told my name appears in the list for receiving hearing aid, but I have received neither hearing aid nor anything for my leg.”

Kejriwal took potshots at Khurshid and his party. “You will get hundreds of evidences (against embezzlement) but the question is, who will probe it?” he asked as people nodded in agreement and booed the UP government too.

It was a decent gathering in the morning when Kejriwal first spoke, soon after which several people petered out. Police continued with barricading and heavy deployment.