Arvind Kejriwal launches AAP’s students wing ‘ASAP’

NEw new delhi: Aam Aadmi company (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on tues launched a students backstage of his company — Association of Students For Alternative Politics (ASAP) — at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi with an aim to connect students from colleges and higher educational institutions from across the country and motivate them to push for political reforms. Earlier, the youth wing of AAP -- Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti — was the default students wing, and it also contested elections in Delhi University. The ASAP will exit in parallel to CYSS. In over 12 years of its existence, the AAP didn’t have a separate students wing. “The country is facing basic issues such as lack of healthcare, unemployment, food security, lack of infrastructure. The reason behind this is the politics which we also call mainstream politics. It is at the root of all the problems in the country. Many people say I don’t have anything to do with politics…. Politics affect everyone- the power that you get is also linked to politics,” said Arvind Kejriwal at the launch. “When the AAP was in power, Delhi got uninterrupted power supply, now Delhi is facing 4-5-hour-long power cuts…. AAP’s politics is alternative politics under which we demolished the education mafia in Delhi. We did not let them increase the fee. Within three months of BJP coming to power they increased school fees, schools deployed bouncers to stop students’ entry into schools. This is part of mainstream politics,” he added. It was one of the few political engagements of Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi after the party lost the February 2025 assembly elections in Delhi which had been ruling since 2015 with a brute majority. Since the defeat, Kejriwal has largely been focused on Punjab which is currently ruled by the AAP. During his speech, Kejriwal slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress saying that they practise mainstream politics. “While the world is focused on AI (artificail intelligence), mainstream politicians are pushing your children into religious conflicts—while they send their own kids to elite foreign universities. This is called mainstream politics.… winning elections through misuse of power, manipulating electoral rolls.. Is their mainstream politics while winning the hearts and winning the elections is alternative politics,” said Kejriwal. “Politics has become a dirty word—we need to restore its integrity and inspire a generation which is committed to serving the nation,” Kejriwal said. The AAP chief said the ASAP will carry out large scale engagement of students across colleges of the country through dialogues and deliberations. “Discussion groups, cultural groups will be formed in every college. We will make people talk about mainstream and alternative politics. A new generation of student leaders will be developed who work for reforms,” said Kejriwal. Former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said even after over 75 years of Independence, India is late in giving required education to the students. Referring to the name of the new student wing ASAP, Sisodia said the need for reform is urgent and should be done as soon as possible. “There are around 80 million students in colleges and higher educational institutions in the country, we have to connect them to society and the country and fill in them passion of nationalism. The organisation will fight for educational reforms,” said Manish Sisodia. Several students from Delhi, Haryana and Punjab participated in the launch.