From Wagon R to 24 Cars: Arvind Kejriwal’s VVIP Avatar at Vipassana Retreat Sparks Massive Row

Chandigarh: Arvind Kejriwal, who has always put himself forward as someone who represents an ‘aam aadmi’ (common man), is being slammed for taking a massive cavalcade for a Vipassana (meditation) trip to Punjab 's Hoshiarpur. A video is going viral on social media showing Arvind Kejriwal, someone who used to advocate against the VVIP culture and travelled in a blue WagonR, surrounded by a massive convoy with as many as 24-25 vehicles including bulletproof Land Cruisers, over 100 Punjab Police commandos, jammers, ambulances, and fire brigade.

Not just the BJP but Kejriwal received criticism from other political parties as well who questioned the VVIP treatment being given to him by the AAP-led Punjab government, using taxpayers money when he was not even an MLA now.

Hitting out at Kejriwal, Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa bashed the former Chief Minister saying he was misusing public funds, as there were cars worth more than Rs 2 crore, fire brigades, ambulances, and more than 100 commandos.

“What type of a common man is he?... Arvind Kejriwal is wasting Punjab's money. His purpose is not 'Vipassana' but to fulfil his dream of becoming a CM... The people of Ludhiana will never let Sanjeev Arora (candidate from Ludhiana West) win,” Manjinder Singh Sira said.

Delhi Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh, who defeated Kejriwal on New Delhi seat in the recently concluded Delhi elections said, “As I was saying during election campaigning, after losing in Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal would run to Punjab. Now, they have a government there, he wants to safeguard it. Now, will he become a Rajya Sabha MP or Punjab CM, let’s see in the coming days."

Hitting out at Kejriwal, BJP's RP Singh said, “He is neither an MLA nor a CM, but the Punjab government still treats him as a VIP and provides security. Like Delhi, in the coming days, Punjab will also reject him.”

Sharing the video of Kejriwal who was seen surrounded with a massive cavalcade in Punjab, Amit Malviya in a post on X wrote, “24 cars in Arvind Kejriwal’s cavalcade. He is not even an MLA. This is not about security threat but about exploiting state resources to satiate his maniacal ego.”

Congress ’ Sandeep Dikshit slams Kejriwal

Son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Sandeep also targeted Arvind Kejriwal for his lifestyle and leadership conduct.

“He has become used to a pompous and lavish lifestyle. I have been saying for 10 years that he is greedy for power. When he used to get votes on the basis of simplicity, even then, we used to say that his simplicity is just a pretence. He has become so used to the extravagance that comes with power that even in his Vipassana, he has 100 vehicles in his convoy,” Dikshit said.

From common man to VVIP

Many who criticised Arvind Kejriwal said that the AAP convenor has turned from a common man to VVIP as his conduct is not about governance anymore but of a typical politician.

People questioned Kejriwal, whose Aam Aadmi Party lost the Delhi election and couldn’t even retain his own seat, for taking such a massive security cover when he holds no government position as of now, to reach a Vipassana centre. Some have even said that ‘Aam Aadmi’ Kejriwal’s motorcade was even bigger than that of Donald Trump .

Though the AAP said that this is all politicisation of Kejriwal’s personal security but it was none other than the AAP convenor himself who once indulged in politics over his security when he questioned Gujarat police for following its protocol. Kejriwal, who back in 2022 was the Chief Minister of Delhi while campaigning in Gujarat fought valiantly with the Gujarat Police politicising his own security but today was seen conveniently moving around in a neighbouring state in a ultra-VVIP motorcade when the elections are over.

Arvind Kejriwal and his acts today are the same against whom he once pretended to raise a voice for and fight. His ‘Sheeshmahal’ – official residence of the Delhi CM that was given a new look during his tenure allegedly using tax payers money – is just another example.

Kejriwal's security cover bigger than Donald Trump, claims Swati Maliwal  

Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, a former close aide of Kejriwal, also slammed the AAP convenor saying, “Why is Kejriwal so afraid of the people of Punjab who gave him so much love? The man who criticised VIP culture now has a security convoy bigger than Donald Trump's."

Kejriwal in Punjab for Vipassana

Arvind Kejriwal arrived in Punjab with his wife Sunita for a 10-day Vipassana meditation course at the Dhamma Dhaja Vipasssana Centre (DDVC) in Anandgarh. This is the second time Kejriwal is visiting Anandgarh for Vipassana meditation. He practiced meditation at the same location back in December 2023.