Arvind Kejriwal to face Akhil Gogoi's from IAC protest in Delhi today

GUWAHATI: Arvind Kejriwal had launched many protests in the past as an activist, but he is going to face one, perhaps for the first time after becoming chief minister of Delhi, to be staged by his one-time colleague at India Against Corruption (IAC) Akhil Gogoi.

The protest has been planned in front of the Delhi assembly building on Saturday.

Akhil, who is in New Delhi at present, told TOI that he, along with some office-bearers of the IAC, will stage a demonstration demanding safety of students from the northeast and women in New Delhi and freeing electricity, health, education and water from the control of private companies.

"Early implementation of Jan Lokpal is also in the agenda of our protest on Saturday. Passing the Jan Lokpal Bill was one of the major electoral promises of Aam Admi Party (AAP). We had earlier made it clear that we are not going to join any political party, let alone AAP. We will continue to raise issues concerning common people against any government," said Akhil, who is also the president of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS).

On Saturday, Akhil attended National Alliance of People's Movement (NAPM) meeting in New Delhi in connection with NAPM's intention to extend its support to AAP and also some of its members willing to join Kejriwal's party. NAPM is an umbrella organization of different civil society groups across the country. The KMSS is one of the constituent members of NAPM. "As an individual, any one can join a political outfit. But we are very much against KMSS extending support to any political party. We have expressed our opposition during our meeting regarding NAPM supporting AAP. We also made it clear that KMSS is not going to join this party on ideological ground," added Akhil.

Akhil and Kejriwal were part of the Anna Hazare-led IAC core group during the Jan Lokpal bill movement about three years ago. In 2011, at IAC's longest anti-corruption rally in New Delhi's Ramlila ground, both of them were together. But differences showed up after Kejriwal and some his IAC colleagues decided to float a political party. Even at the time when Kejriwal and his team formed Aam Admi Party, Akhil had registered his opposition, saying that KMSS would continue to fight for people's cause through movements rather than contesting elections.

source - times of india