After Two Leaders Quit, Arvind Kejriwal's Charisma Losing Sheen, Says BJP

Agencies
August 23, 2018

New Delhi, Aug 23: The BJP and the Congress on Wednesday said the charisma of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is vanishing after AAP leaders Ashish Khetan and Ashutosh quit the party in a span of a week.

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said the Aam Aadmi Party may "vanish" before the next Delhi assembly election.

"Arvind Kejriwal is a one-time wonder whose charisma is fast losing its sheen among the people of Delhi and the leaders of his own party. It now appears that by the time of next Vidhan Sabha election in 2020, the Aam Aadmi Party will vanish from the political horizon," Mr Tiwari said in a statement.

Mr Khetan quit the AAP on Tuesday within a week of exit of another key face, Ashutosh, plunging the party into more trouble.

"To fulfil his political ambitions, Arvind Kejriwal brought together a rabble of politically ambitious activists most of whom had no political ideology and with the passage of time this gathering converted into a dangal arena," the BJP said.

The Delhi Congress also criticised the AAP's national convenor.

"Within six years of forming the party, most of the old guards, founding members of AAP have left. Obviously something is terribly wrong within the party," Delhi Congress spokesperson Sharmistha Mukherjee tweeted.

On a Facebook post, Mr Khetan, 46, said, "For the past two years I have been plagued with self doubt and the question of whether I wanted to continue in electoral politics. Early this year I made my decision to quit active politics after much deliberation and in consultation with family and close friends."

Sources said the discontentment among senior leaders grew after the AAP nominated city-based businessman Sushil Gupta and chartered accountant ND Gupta for three Rajya Sabha seats from Delhi, along with senior leader Sanjay Singh.

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News Network
December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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