A month after Delhi defeat, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal to head for 10-day Vipassana retreat in Punjab: Report

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal will go for a 10-day vipassana meditation session in Punjab from Tuesday, nearly a month after his party lost power in Delhi to the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

Kejriwal will leave for Hoshiarpur in Punjab for the meditation course on Tuesday, according to a PTI report quoting AAP sources. The former Chief Minister will join the Vipassana session at a centre there from March 5 to March 15, the report said.

What is Vipassana?

Vipassana is an an ancient Indian meditation discipline and requires practitioners to abstain from all types of contact, including verbal and gestural communication.

Vipassana, which translates to “clear seeing” or “insight,” is an ancient meditation technique that has its roots in the teachings of Gautama Buddha. The aim is to cultivate a deep awareness of the present moment by observing the sensations of the body with a heightened sense of mindfulness.

Kejriwal has been practicing Vipassana for a long and has been to several places, including Bengaluru and Jaipur, in the past years to practice the ancient meditation system. Kejriwal had attended a 10-day session at Dhamma Dhaja Vipassana Centre in Anandgarh in Hoshiarpur in December 2023. At that time, Kejriwal faced summons from the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in a money laundering case linked to Delhi excise policy case.

Kejriwal, who lost the election from New Delhi seat in February 5 Assembly polls, has kept himself confined to party related activities without making any public appearances. The BJP had questioned why Kejriwal was not holding press conferences after the government tabled CAG reports highlighting previous AAP government’s alleged corruption.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that ruled Delhi from 2015 to 2024 on the back of massive mandates, managed to win just 22 of the 70 Assembly seats in the latest election.

BJP ends AAP dominance

The BJP ended the dominance of the Kejriwal-led party, winning 48 seats. Several AAP leaders, including Manish Sisodia, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Satyendar Jain, and Somnath Bharti, lost.

After the defeat, the Delhi unit of the party is holding organisational meetings. Its convener Gopal Rai said that only those leaders who performed well in the elections, will be given responsibilities in the organisation.

Kejriwal’s Punjab visit also assumes significance amid Congress’ claim that several AAP MLAs were ready to defect to its side. The AAP has refuted all such rumours, including replacement of Bhagwant Mann as chief minister of the state.