NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday upped the ante against Congress and accused the INDIA bloc ally of steering clear of criticising Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the upcoming Delhi assembly elections.
In a video message to Congress supporters, the former Delhi chief minister reiterated that voting for Congress would essentially benefit BJP in the polls.
Poll
What Influences Your Voting Decision the Most?
“I want to talk to the supporters of the Congress party today. Recently, some people came to meet me. I asked them who they would vote for, and they said Congress. I asked why, as Congress doesn’t have much left in Delhi. They said they’ve been with Congress for years and are used to pressing the hand symbol. They know Congress won’t win a single seat in Delhi, but they’re compelled by habit. However, they were quite unhappy and said today’s Congress isn’t what it used to be,” Kejriwal said.
“Now, the leaders are always fighting among themselves. They mentioned the situation in Haryana, where Congress lost an easy election. All the Congress supporters were frustrated. The more a supporter tries to make Congress win, the more the leaders seem to work against it. Then they said something interesting: it’s clear that Congress’s only goal in Delhi is to defeat the Aam Aadmi Party, not to win a seat,” he added.
Kejriwal cited his conversation with Congress supporters and said that if they vote for the party, BJP will come to power and stop the welfare schemes initiated by the AAP-led Delhi government.
“They are working with the BJP to defeat the Aam Aadmi Party. I asked how, and they said it’s obvious—Congress leaders don’t speak against the BJP, only against Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party. So, I explained to them that I don’t understand politics; I know how to work. Just like I worked for the Aam Aadmi Party, I worked for them too,” Kejriwal said
“I told them if they vote for Congress, the BJP will come to power and ruin the schools, stop free electricity and water, close the Mohalla Clinics, and end free bus travel for women. It will cost at least Rs 25,000 rupees a month. Where will you get that money? They agreed and said I was right and that they would vote for the broom,” Kejriwal said.
The Congress and AAP have traded barbs at each other ever since the two parties, who are allies under the INDIA banner, announced to contest the Delhi elections separately.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday challenged the former Delhi chief minister to drink Yamuna water, accusing him of not fulfilling on his promise of cleaning the river.
“He (Kejriwal) ran a corrupt government. Modi ji lies in his speeches and just like him, Kejriwal does the same. Five years ago, he (Kejriwal) had stated that he will take a bath in the Yamuna and drink its water. Five years have gone by and he did not do so. You have to drink dirty water but Kejriwal lives in ‘sheesh mahal’ which is worth crores and lies to you,” Rahul said .
Then, directly challenging the ex-Delhi CM, Rahul said, “Kejriwal made Delhi people drink dirty Yamuna water, I challenge him to drink Yamuna water as promised few years ago.” “You drink Yamuna’s water and then we’ll meet in the hospital,” he added while criticising Kejriwal for the pollution in the Yamuna river.
Earlier, Congress also accused the AAP government of Rs 382 crore corruption in the healthcare sector.
“The Delhi CM made his party on the basis that he will fight corruption. At that time, he made corruption allegations against Congress based on CAG reports. Today, there are 14 CAG reports that make serious corruption allegations against Arvind Kejriwal. One such CAG report suggests a scam by Arvind Kejriwal related to health which is worth Rs 382 crore,” Congress leader Ajay Maken said at a press conference.
“The CAG reports suggest that a sum of Rs 382.52 crore more than the tender was spent on three hospitals. This is the reason that Arvind Kejriwal did not let the CAG report be presented in the Vidhan Sabha. I am making a direct allegation that this is the reason that the CAG report was stopped,” Maken alleged.
Last month, Maken had called Kejriwal “anti-national” and “farziwal” following which AAP had demanded action against the Congress leader and had even threatened to work for the removal of the grand-old-party from the INDIA bloc. Delhi will go to the polls on February 5 and the counting of votes will take place on February 8.