'Once Pretended To Be Common Man, Now Moves Like Maharaja': Kejriwal Draws Flak For 'Vipassana' Cavalcade

Arvind Kejriwal's lavish cavalcade to a meditation retreat in Punjab has sparked criticism from both the BJP and Congress, who accuse him of hypocrisy and being "greedy for power."

AAP chief draws flak for a lavish cavalcade to a meditation centre in Punjab's Hoshiarpur.

Source : PTI

Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal's long cavalcade for vipassana (meditation) to Punjab's Hoshiarpur has drawn flak from all quarters. 

While BJP took a dig at him saying he "moves like Maharaja", Congress accused him of being "greedy for power." 

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal also criticised Kejriwal for the massive cavalcade equating it with US President Donald Trump's security. 

Taking to X, Maliwal wrote: "Kejriwal, who criticises the whole world for VIP culture, is today roaming around with a security cover bigger than Donald Trump."

Kejriwal's 10-Day Meditation Retreat 

The former Delhi Chief Minister along with his wife Sunita Kejriwal are in Punjab's Hoshiarpur to attend the meditation course. The course at Dhamma Dhaja Vipassana Centre began on Wednesday and will span the next 10 days. 

He drew the ire of his political contenders for the size of the cavalcade that accompanied him to the meditation centre which included more than 100 Punjab Police personnel and bulletproof vehicles, as per an India Today report. 

Moves Like Maharaja: BJP 

Bharatiya Janata Party leader and minister in Delhi cabinet Manjinder Singh Sirsa also slammed Kejriwal saying "who once pretended to be a common man, now moves like Maharaja." 

"Arvind Kejriwal, who once pretended to be a common man in a WagonR, now moves in a lavish convoy of bulletproof Land Cruisers, over 100 Punjab Police commandos, jammers and ambulances like a VIP Maharaja all for Vipassana, a retreat meant for peace," Sirsa said in a post on X. 

"If power was his test, he has failed miserably. AAP’s truth is out, deception, hypocrisy, and VIP arrogance at its peak," he added. 

Simplicity Was Just Pretence: Congress 

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit, who contested against Kejriwal in the recently concluded assembly polls, also joined the bandwagon of critics. He accused the AAP chief of getting used to a "pompous and lavish lifestyle." 

"I have been saying for 10 years that he is greedy for power. When he used to get votes on the basis of simplicity, even then, we used to say that his simplicity was just a pretence," he was quoted as saying by PTI.  

"He has become so used to the extravagance that comes with power that he has 100 vehicles in his convoy to accompany him for a meditation retreat," he added.