Updravi gotra to avsarvadi: AAP, BJP take to ads to attack each other

Move over hashtag wars, in battleground Delhi, rival parties have now taken to posters to take digs at each other. Former friends Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi are fighting it out to reach the CM’s post in the national capital. And as the elections scheduled for 7 February draws closer, BJP and AAP are taking every opportunity to take each other down. AAP’s imandar vs avsarvadi ad:

The Aam Aami Party put out posters behind Delhi auto rickshaws last week asking the question: Dilli ka mukhyamantri kaisa ho? (How should the Delhi CM be?). Below it were the faces of Kejriwal and Bedi. While below Kejriwal it said Imandar (honest), below Bedi it said avsarvadi (dishonest). This advestisment left Bedi fuming even as she sued Kejriwal over using her photo without permission and calling her an opportunists.

The AAP had also put out another ad which asked the question, “Dilli ka mukhyamantri kaun ho (Who should become Delhi CM)? with the options of Arvind Kejriwal and Jagdish Mukhi. Since Mukhi was never declared a CM candidate, this ad too did not go down well with the BJP. BJP’s ‘updravi gotra’ ad:

After repeated attacks from AAP, the BJP published advertisement taking digs on Kejriwal. It showed Kejriwal holding a broom saying, “Meri na suni toh 26 January ka programme bhi bigad jaunga. Aur ek saal baad VIP pass ki bhi guhaar lagaunga (If you don’t listen to me I will spoil the 26 January programme and a year later I will also demand VIP passes.)” Criticising Kejriwal the ad went on to say, “Desh ke karodon log gantantra divas ko rashtriya parv mante hain, us par garv karte hain. Aur apka updravi gotra isme vyavdhan dalne ko taiyar tha (Crores of people in our country consider Republic Day as a national festival and are proud of it. But your troublemaking community is ready to disrupt it.)” Taking offence to this, Kejriwal took to Twitter to hit out at the BJP. He said, “What has happened to the BJP? First they targetted my children. But I kept quete. Annaji has said one has to have the ability to digest insults. I have never reacted on personal attacks. But the BJP crossed a line in today’s ads. They have called the whole Aggarwal community troublemakers, they have called my community a trouble making community.”

In another advertisement the BJP accused Kejriwal of wanting a lavish home. The ad said, “Aam Aadmi hoon ji sarkari bungla nahi apnaunga, per pandra din mein hi aleeshan makaan mein jam jaunga.” Angry over the ads, the party said they would approach the Election Commission and demand action against the BJP.