Millions of people take a dip in the holy Ganga to cleanse themselves but this time the direction of purification has been reversed. The Ganga, for a change, purified herself when Arvind Kejriwal took a dip in her sacred waters in Varanasi’s Ashwamedh Ghat, at least in the eyes of many AAP fans.
AAP leaders said this was only to be expected. “So many people after pledging loyalty to and joining Kejriwal have become paragons of probity and virtue,” a Kejriwal sidekick said. “So why should Mother Ganga be any different? Anyway, Kejriwalji is sinless so if any sins could have been washed off, it must have been from the Ganga only.”
Some AAP workers say Kejriwal has now added to the legend of the holy Ganga. “After getting enmeshed in the locks of Lord Shiva, then passing through Sage Jahnu’s mouth and coming out of His ears, the Ganga’s holiness has increased manifold after caressing Arvind’s hairless chest,” claimed a diehard Arvind fan.
However, another AAP leader was quick to refute his claim saying the Ganga cannot be considered to be entirely pure unless she become an AAP member and rebuked the latter for not reading the party manifesto. Many AAP volunteers have now requested Kejriwal to also take a dip in the holy Yamunaji near Okhla and purify India’s second holiest river.
(Second picture conceived by Ajayendar Reddy)