AAP holds ‘Gujarat Jodo Jansabha’ in Rajkot, raises concerns over governance, farmers and policing

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) organised a public meeting titled ‘Gujarat Jodo Jansabha’ at Dodiyala village in Rajkot district’s Jasdan Assembly constituency.

AAP Gujarat State President Isudan Gadhvi, State Youth President Brijraj Solanki, along with party office-bearers and workers, were present at the event. According to the party, villagers attended the meeting in large numbers.

Addressing the gathering, Gadhvi spoke about governance in Gujarat over the past decades, stating that the BJP has ruled the state for the last 30 years and that Congress was in power for 30 years before that. He said farmers faced difficulties even during the Congress regime and referred to incidents where bullets were fired on farmers. He alleged that while political leaders and senior bureaucrats have progressed, farmers, the poor, marginalised sections, the middle class and small employees have not seen development.

Gadhvi also spoke about disparities within the police system, stating that a constable caught taking ₹200 is transferred immediately, while IPS officers allegedly possess wealth worth crores without facing action. He compared police salaries in AAP-ruled Punjab and Gujarat, claiming that police personnel in Punjab receive a salary of ₹70,000, while those in Gujarat are paid ₹20,000, and alleged that police personnel in Gujarat face arbitrary transfers and pressure to carry out wrongful work.

Referring to employment and social conditions, Gadhvi said outsourced employees, farmers, and women in Gujarat are distressed. He also claimed that some BJP leaders themselves have said that the party is no longer the same. He alleged that several IAS and IPS officers have accumulated properties in states such as Kerala and Bihar and said he has prepared a list of such officers. He stated that if given the opportunity, he would recover money allegedly taken from the public.

Gadhvi attributed the rise in fertiliser prices to a reduction in subsidies, alleging that this was due to pressure from the United States. He claimed that the entry of cheap cotton from the US could harm Gujarat’s farmers. Referring to price trends, he said that while the cost of items such as motorcycles and gold has increased significantly over the years, cotton prices have remained unchanged.

He also spoke about villages described as “BJP villages” and questioned continued political support despite rising costs and stagnant farm incomes. Gadhvi alleged that farmers are being pushed out of agriculture and claimed that large corporate interests could eventually take over agricultural land, leading to higher inflation affecting both rural and urban populations.