Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal lashed out at the union government on Sunday over an ordinance that regulates services in the national capital, claiming that Delhi is the first to be “attacked” and that similar ordinances would be introduced for other states, news agency PTI reported. The national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party said that the Center’s ordinance was an insult to the residents of the city while speaking at the party’s “Maha Rally” in the Ramlila Maidan. According to the ordinance, Delhi would not have democracy, he claimed.

“There will be dictatorship in Delhi and the LG (lieutenant governor) is supreme. People can vote for whoever they want, but the Centre will run Delhi,” Kejriwal was quoted by PTI in its report.

“I have been travelling across the country and I want to assure the people of Delhi that they are not alone. The 140 crore people of India are with them,” he said.

The AAP leader declared that Delhi is the “first city to be attacked” and that similar legislation will be introduced for Rajasthan and other states as well.

He said that the arrests of AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain were made in an effort to halt work in the city. 

“But we have have 100 Sisodias and 100 Jains. They will continue the good work,” the chief minister said.

Jain was detained in May of last year in connection with a money laundering investigation, while former deputy chief minister Sisodia was jailed in February on allegations of corruption in the creation and implementation of the now-scrapped spirits strategy for 2021–22.

“I want to ask that PM (Narendra) Modi has been in power as Gujarat chief minister and then as prime minister for long, and Kejriwal has been in power for eight years, who has done more work for people,” he said.

Kapil Sibal, a Rajya Sabha member, also attended the event and made a point of calling for opposition unity in order to defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.