Gunning for the 'goons'

As Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convenor Arvind Kejriwal began his five-day visit to Punjab, he was greeted with protests, black flags and "Go back, Kejriwal" slogans. With characteristic spunk, Kejriwal underplayed all of that and said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had hired such "goons" to stall the march of the AAP before and during the Delhi Assembly polls. The result was for all to see. "The ruling alliance (in Punjab) will see a miracle in the 2017 polls when there will be no Opposition (for the AAP) at all in the Vidhan Sabha," a local paper quoted Kejriwal as saying. The Shiromani Akali Dal in alliance with the BJP is in power in Punjab.