Varanasi, March 25 (IANS) AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday vowed to defeat BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi after arriving here amid hostility from Modi supporters that triggered an ink attack.
"I don't see Banaras as a losing battle. I will defeat Modi" in the Lok Sabha election, the former Delhi chief minister told a television channel, shortly after reaching Varanasi by train from New Delhi.
"Fighting against Modi is a small thing," Kejriwal told NDTV. "Saving the country from corruption is a big issue now."
Eggs were thrown at his car outside the Kashi Vishwanath temple, with the protestors steadily raising anti-Kejriwal slogans and asking him to leave the Hindu holy city.
Calling him a "traitor", hundreds of slogan-shouting people blocked his cavalcade while keeping up a steady chant of "Modi! Modi!".
Security personnel had a tough time controlling the crowd. The demonstrators said they wanted only Gujarat Chief Minister Modi to contest the Lok Sabha battle from Varanasi.
Later, as Kejriwal proceeded towards the rally ground in an open vehicle ringed by hundreds of supporters, ink was thrown at him.
The ink stained his face and clothes and also those of his party leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh.
The man who threw the ink was identified as Ambrish, said to be a member of Hindu Vahini Sena. Police whisked him away. All through the route, many waved black flags and raised anti-AAP slogans.
Earlier, Kejriwal took a dip in the Ganges. His forehead was smeared with sandalwood paste as he came out of the Kashi Vishwanath temple, a Varanasi landmark.
Kejriwal added: "I prayed to God to give me the strength to fight and save the country."
The Aam Aadmi Party leader is set to address a public rally at which he is expected to seek support for taking on Modi, the BJP nominee here.
Kejriwal supporters in hundreds have been campaigning for him for days in Varanasi.
Vaibhav Maheshwari, who handles the media for the AAP in Uttar Pradesh, earlier told IANS that the Kejriwal-Modi contest would not be symbolic. He said its outcome would be "stunning".
Kejriwal, who founded the AAP in November 2012, led the party to a dramatic debut in Delhi in December 2013 by winning 28 of the 70 seats, and then formed a minority government that lasted 49 days.
Modi attacks AAP over donations
New Delhi, Feb 3 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday hit out at the AAP on the issue of
HC pulls up civic bodies for failure to keep Delhi clean
New Delhi, Jan 28 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Wednesday pulled up civic agencies for their fail
The cases of corona infection in the country are now increasing rapidly. As the cases of Corona i
The US has said that DNA tests will not be conducted on the body of slain al-Qaeda leader Ayman a
Bollywood's famous singer Arijit Singh's show to be held at Eco Park in Kolkata on the occasion o
Corona imprisonment: '20 days imprisoned, eaten a handful of whole day'
new Delhi
How was the atmosphere in China, fear of Corona virus in flight, how were the 1
In the 5 seasons of the upcoming series The Lord of the Rings- Rings of Power, more than 1 billio
BJP Regrets Reference to Immigrants, Brings edited version
New Delhi, Feb 4 (IANS) The BJP Wednesday again regretted using the word "immigrant" for people
Gadar 2: Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel's Gadar 2 is hitting the theaters on August 11 this year. B
Anant Ambani, the younger son of the country's richest businessman Mukesh Ambani, is soon going t
