The recent incident of Arvind Kejriwal, former Chief Minister of Delhi, has brought to the limelight once again his reckless and irresponsible behavior and raised serious concerns about leadership and the safety of citizens under his rule. Recently, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged that Kejriwal’s convoy was attacked during his campaign in the New Delhi constituency, a claim that quickly escalated into a political battle between the ruling paety and the main challenger, BJP. But when more details emerged, it became increasingly evident that Kejriwal’s own actions were far from innocent and pointed to a troubling pattern of violence and authoritarian behaviour.
AAP put blame on BJP candidate Parvesh Verma’s supporters for attacking Kejriwal’s convoy by pelting stones and bricks to injure him and affect his campaign. However, in a curious turn of events, it soon transpired that Kejriwal’s car had run over three youths who were only seeking to question him on issues pertaining to employment and governance. These young boys, named Vishal, Abhishek, and Rohit, were hurt as car which was part of Kejriwal’s convoy came dangerously close to them. Two of them suffered serious injuries. Parvesh Verma, the BJP candidate, alleged that Kejriwal had intentionally asked his driver to crush the youths, saying it was an “attempt to murder.”
#WATCH Delhi: On AAP alleging attack on the convoy of Arvind Kejriwal, BJP candidate from New Delhi assembly seat, Parvesh Verma says, “The car of Arvind Kejriwal has gone ahead by crushing the worker of the BJP. The leg of the worker (BJP) has broken and I am going to the Lady… pic.twitter.com/63CAwqOVPK
— ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2025
#WATCH | Delhi: BJP candidate from New Delhi assembly seat, Parvesh Verma says, “When AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal was campaigning door-to-door near Lal Bahadur Sadan, people of New Delhi Assembly constituency were asking questions to AAP National Convenor Arvind… pic.twitter.com/T5N7bkE8ZE
— ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2025
The incident raised many pertinent questions. First, how could a public figure like Arvind Kejriwal, who claims to champion the cause of the common man, show such utter disregard for the lives of his fellow citizens? The fact that he is being accused of running over individuals who were merely questioning him shows not only a lack of accountability but also a chilling willingness to use violence to suppress dissent. This is definitely not the mannerisms of an honest leader respectful of democracy and rule of law. It projects a leader, instead, that feels he would get away scot-free from trampling the rights and safety of others.
In typical Arvind Kejriwal defense style — denounce, pass the buck around, and begin acting as an innocent victim; these allegations surfaced against him again. He has always tried to shift all his problems to the opposition while depicting himself as a victim of political violence who did not bring anything on his own. Incidentally, this is what Arvind Kejriwal has been doing again and again when he finds fault in or raises questions about someone. Most often, he attributes attacks upon himself or his party to stone-pelting or other such kinds of interruptions at the hands of his rivals. But this time, the charges against him are much more serious and direct: he is accused of ordering his driver to run over people who were merely exercising their democratic right to question him.
Following the pandemonium, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla branded the Aam Aadmi Party as the “Anarchist Apradhi Party,” accusing it of fabricating incidents to divert attention from its own failures. He added that Kejriwal’s activities are a vying measure to take the eye off the ball of issues that matter—unemployment, poor governance, and corruption within his government. Rather than trying to solve these pressing matters, Kejriwal and his party have resorted to drama. They use violence and concocted attacks in an effort to win sympathy. This was not the action of a responsible leader; it is the desperate action of someone trying to cling on to power by all means necessary.
VIDEO | Delhi Polls 2025: On AAP alleging attack on party chief Arvind Kejriwal during campaigning in New Delhi, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla (@Shehzad_Ind) says, “AAP means Anarchist Apradhi Party. The way Arvind Kejriwal drove his car over three youths shows his mindset… pic.twitter.com/1susqRlzSN
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 18, 2025
In his defence, Sanjay Singh, an AAP MP, accused the BJP of trying to win elections by “hooliganism.”. But this is a glaring attempt to deflect from the fact that it is Kejriwal’s own party that seems to be resorting to violence to silence opposition. The stone-pelting of Kejriwal by BJP workers is a smokescreen over the fact that Kejriwal has now taken his car to be used as a tool for intimidation and assault on commoners who have the guts to raise their voice against him.
The case is not merely about a political squabble or a scuffle but indicates a far more profound and problematic aspect of Kejriwal’s leadership. It lays the innate arrogance and authoritarianism that have defined his politics. Kejriwal often reacts to criticism with aggression and hostility, not caring for the safety or well-being of people around him. This is a pattern of behavior that is not new. He has been involved in several controversial incidents over the years, most of which involved violent confrontations and attempts to silence critics.
This is most worrisome, though: Kejriwal’s actions are a symptom of the overall problem in his administration—corruption, violence, and silencing dissent as the new norms. Delhi, under his administration, has risen to be full of authoritarian tendencies, where anything that goes against the regime’s will is repressed through fear, and the safety of people is seen only as secondary to the perpetuation of power. Kejriwal’s desperation to hold on to his position has led him to make some very reckless decisions that put the lives of the people at stake, and the latest incident speaks volumes about just how far he would go in order to not be held accountable.
The people of Delhi must look at reality about Kejriwal’s leadership. His disregard for the rule of law, his tendency to resort to violence, and his habit of blaming others for his failures should serve as warnings. Kejriwal is not the man he portrays himself to be—he is a leader who has shown time and again that he is willing to sacrifice the safety and well-being of the people he claims to serve in his pursuit of power. It’s time for the people of Delhi to send such a verdict through electing leaders who respect democracy, the rule of law, and security for their citizens.
