Kejriwal claims advisor to PM warned news channel editors not to cover AAP in Gujarat

New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, unleashed a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP on Sunday, accusing them of attempting to "crush" the AAP in the guise of battling corruption out of fear of losing the elections in Gujarat.

Speaking at the first-ever national conclave of his party's elected officials, Kejriwal also claimed that the Modi administration has been attempting to implicate ministers and leaders of his party in fabricated corruption cases because the BJP is "not able to digest the growing popularity of the AAP in Gujarat."

The BJP is so rattled by the AAP's growing influence ahead of Gujarat assembly elections that "the prime minister's advisor Hiren Joshi has warned several TV channels owners and their editors not to give coverage to AAP party in Gujarat, threatening them with dire consequences", the party's national convenor alleged.

No immediate reaction to Kejriwal's charge was immediately available from the PMO or Joshi.

"Stop doing things. If these editors share the screenshots of Joshi's messages, both the prime minister and his advisor will not be in a position to show their faces to the country," Kejriwal said.

"We are going to form a government in Gujarat," he added.

In a veiled attack on the prime minister over his 'revadi culture' remark, Kejriwal said the AAP's freebies are being criticised on the ground that providing free facilities to people will ruin the economy of the country.

"Only a dishonest (person), a corrupt and a traitor will say freebies are not good for the country. If any politician says freebies will ruin the country's economy, consider his intentions are wrong," Kejriwal said.

With inputs from PTI