New Delhi: On February 11, amidst the celebratory sloganeering, speeches and jiving to the poll theme song of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) – the peppy ‘Lage Raho Kejriwal’ playing out in full blast at the party headquarters, what stood out was a slogan, till now heard from supporters and leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in its rallies, victory marches and gatherings – ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.
AAP has won 62 of the 70 seats in Delhi. BJP has won eight.
Groups of supporters – men and women – were spotted shouting the slogan excitedly, followed by “Inquilab Zindabad, Kejriwal ki Jai”.
When asked if there was any particular reason why AAP supporters were using a slogan that has largely been used by the BJP at rallies and victory events, a supporter told The Wire, “Why shouldn’t we? Is it theirs alone? Ours too.” Another supporter, who came from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh to join the celebrations, added, “Today, the AAP’s victory is the victory of Bharat. Bhai bhai se nahi lar te, mil ke rehte hain. (Brothers don’t fight, they live together.)“
Later in the day chief minister and party head Arvind Kejriwal visited the AAP office on Delhi’s Deen Dayal Upadhyay Road to address the party workers. Surrounded by a battery of media cameras, Kejriwal too shouted, “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”, followed by cheers from his supporters.
He also shouted, “Vande Mataram” – yet another victory slogan often used by the BJP to pose itself as a ‘nationalist’ party.
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Kejriwal termed the victory of his party amidst a stiff campaign put up by BJP, its main adversary, on communal lines, as “Bharat Mata ki jeet.” (Victory of Mother India.)
After winning form the New Delhi constituency for the third time, he also took a jibe at the BJP, which mocked him for reciting the Hanuman Chalisa on a TV channel during the poll campaign.
“Today is also Tuesday, Hanuman’s day,” he said, leading the supporters to break into a huge roar of laughter and cheer. He said, “Hanuman ji has blessed us.”
Soon after, Kejriwal visited the well-known Hanuman Mandir on Delhi’s Baba Kharak Singh Marg even as his supporters surrounding him shouted, “Jai Shri Ram”.