NEW DELHI: In a major rift between the two INDIA bloc partners ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday accused the Congress of colluding with the BJP to target its convener and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
AAP said it would “talk with all alliance partners” and demand “the expulsion of the grand old party” from the grouping. “The Congress is doing everything to ensure the BJP benefits in the election. Congress leader Ajay Maken reads the BJP script, makes statements at the BJP’s behest and targets AAP leaders on the BJP’s instructions. And yesterday, he crossed all limits and called our leader Arvind Kejriwal anti-national,” AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said during a press conference.
A controversy had erupted on Wednesday when two departments of the Delhi Government issued notices in newspapers, cautioning the public and disowning the registration process started by CM Atishi and Kejriwal for two recently announced welfare schemes. The ruling AAP termed the notices “fake and baseless”, asserting that administrative as well as legal action would be taken against the officials who issued these advertisements. The seed of rift between the INDIA bloc partners was sown when the Youth Congress filed a complaint against Kejriwal, accusing him of misleading voters and engaging in fraudulent activities. The complaint, which was lodged at the Parliament Street police station, called for an FIR against Kejriwal following his poll promises, which were nullified by two Delhi Government departments.
The AAP leader said his party had given an ultimatum to the Congress leadership to take action against Maken within 24 hours, failing which AAP would be forced to demand the Congress’ expulsion from the alliance. Chief Minister Atishi said the statements and actions of the Congress had made it “absolutely clear that they had colluded with the BJP for the Delhi elections”.