Arvind Kejriwal’s ten-day Vipassana retreat in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur has gained political significance, coming just a month after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) suffered a major defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections. The AAP chief is set to undergo meditation sessions from March 5 to March 15.
But controversy had been sparked regarding the "grand security parade" that escorted Kejriwal to the Vipassana center, triggering fears of using public money. His convoy even had ambulances, fire brigades, and luxury cars, inviting accusations of wasteful spending.
A video of the convoy was shared by former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal and she wondered, "Whom is he afraid of?"
Writing to X, Maliwal said, "Kejriwal, who used to condemn VIP culture, is now accompanying a security cover bigger than Donald Trump's. An excellent state like Punjab is being utilized for their luxuries."
Delhi BJP chief Manjinder Singh Sirsa also targeted Kejriwal for getting what he referred to as "maharaja-style treatment" in Punjab. He asked the need for such a lavish security detail when Vipassana calls for self-isolation and contemplation.
Sirsa claimed that Kejriwal's convoy consisted of luxury cars, including Land Cruisers, with Punjab Police commandos escorting them. He also claimed that more than fifty big vehicles were in the convoy, including some bulletproof Land Cruisers that cost ₹2 crore each.
"Arvind Kejriwal, the one who had pretended to be an ordinary man in a WagonR, now moves about in a flamboyant retinue of bulletproof Land Cruisers, 100+ Punjab Police commandos, jammers & ambulances—like a VIP Maharaja—all for a Vipassana retreat for peace! If power was his test, he has failed abysmally," Sirsa wrote on X.
He also questioned the Punjab government spending money on such a lavish security entourage for Kejriwal's Vipassana retreat. "What Vipassana needs a grand security procession paid for by Punjab taxpayers? Even CM Bhagwant Mann is not included in the convoy!" he said.
Kejriwal's meditation retreat follows rumors of his potential entry into the Rajya Sabha from Punjab. There have also been periodic reports of internal party strife within AAP's Punjab unit, although the party has rejected such reports.
Political observers are of the opinion that Kejriwal's trip to Punjab may be an attempt to solve internal party issues and plan AAP's resurgence after its electoral loss in Delhi.
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