Santosh Koli, one of the 11 Aam Admi Party candidate for the Seemapuri assembly constituency in Delhi, has recovered from her critical condition after an accident last week.
Koli and her co-worker were hit by a car on their way to their office a week ago. AAP said Koli, a long time member of Arvind Kejriwal’s Right to Information group, has survived ten attacks on her so far.
“Our brave-heart who has survived nine similar heinous attacks in the past, has survived one more brutal attack this time. While we are in awe of her bravery and sacrifice, it is time to show that we are solidly behind her,” AAP said.
RTI activists are regularly attacked, sometimes fatally, by people who are disturbed by their investigations and campaigns.
After the attack on Koli, the party had alleged that there was a chance that it was done intentionally. The car did not stop after hitting the motorbike from behind.
Earlier in the day, the AAP had organized an ‘I am Santosh’ campaign, with party workers donning caps that with the slogan.
AAP is gearing up for a make-or-break elections to the Delhi assembly later this year. The election is seen as AAP’s best shot at proving that it is a serious alternative to mainstream political parties, as Kejriwal’s NGO, Parivartan, has an extensive network of volunteers in the national capital. In addition, the main opposition party to the Congress, the BJP, is weak and leaderless in the capital, leaving the battle wide open.
“We are pleased to report that Santosh is finally out of danger today after battling for life for more than a week. But Santosh will spend few more weeks/months in bed recovering instead of campaigning on the streets of Seemapuri,” AAP said in a statement.
“It is time to show the culprits behind this attack that every time you hurt one of us, there will be thousands who will rise up to take her/his place. We will rise up against this mafia-style politics,” it said.
AAP also said it is planning to raise the entire Rs 14 lakh per constituency through micro donations via its donation page.