AAP's 24-hr ultimatum: Action on Ajay Maken or INDIA bloc should drop Cong

AAP MP Sanjay Singh alleges that Congress leader 'Ajay Maken reads the BJP script', demands action against him. Singh warns AAP will urge INDIA bloc partners to expel Congress if no action is taken

In a major setback to the Opposition’s unity, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday announced that it would urge members of the INDIA bloc to expel the Congress party if it fails to take action against its Delhi leader Ajay Maken.

 

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh accused the Congress of aiding the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the state Assembly elections.

 

“The Congress is doing everything to ensure that the BJP benefits in the election. Ajay Maken reads the BJP script, makes statements at the BJP’s behest, and targets AAP leaders on BJP’s instructions. And yesterday, he crossed all limits and called our leader Arvind Kejriwal an anti-national,” Singh said.

 

Kejriwal is ‘Farziwal’, said Maken

The Delhi Congress on Wednesday issued a 12-point ‘white paper’, criticising both the AAP and the BJP for their alleged failures to deliver on promises and their mismanagement of issues such as pollution, civic amenities, and law and order.

 

During a press conference, AICC treasurer Ajay Maken criticised AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal, saying that the party, which rose to power on the back of the Janlokpal agitation, has failed to establish the anti-corruption ombudsman.

 

While releasing the white paper titled ‘Mauka Mauka, Har Baar Dhoka’, Maken said, “If there is one word to describe former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal here then it would be ‘Farziwal’. If anyone is the king of fraud in the entire country, then it is Kejriwal and that is why we have come here with a white paper on the Kejriwal government and also on the BJP government at the Centre.”

AAP always supported Congress, says Singh

According to Sanjay Singh, neither the Congress nor Ajay Maken has ever labelled any BJP leader in Delhi as ‘anti-national’.

 

This confrontation comes just months after the AAP and the Congress had joined hands to contest the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi. Despite both parties campaigning for each other’s candidates during the general elections, their combined efforts failed as the BJP won all seven seats in the city.

 

“Arvind Kejriwal had campaigned for Congress candidates in Delhi. He campaigned for Congress in Chandigarh too. AAP repeatedly stands with the Congress on issues in Parliament. And you are calling our leader anti-national, the Youth Congress is registering FIR against him?” Singh questioned.

AAP ultimatum: Act swiftly or face expulsion

Referring to the Haryana Assembly elections, Singh said that the AAP had sought an alliance with Congress. “But the Congress disagreed. So we fought the election but did not utter an inappropriate word for Congress or its leaders. Show us one statement,” he said.

 

Declaring that “all limits have been crossed,” alleged Singh, demanding swift action from the Congress party. “For the audacity Ajay Maken has shown, I demand that the Congress act against him within 24 hours. Otherwise, we will approach the partners in the INDIA alliance and seek removal of Congress from the bloc,” he further said.

Atishi alleges BJP-Congress nexus

Accusing the Congress of working with the BJP, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi said, “We have found through credible sources that Congress candidates’ election expenditure is coming from the BJP... We have heard that Sandeep Dikshit is getting funded by the BJP. If Congress thinks we (AAP) are anti-national, then why did they contest Lok Sabha elections in alliance with us?”

 

She further said, “It is clear that Congress leaders have reached some mutual understanding with the BJP to defeat AAP and make BJP win in Delhi. If there is no understanding between the Congress and BJP, then they should take action against Ajay Maken within 24 hours.”

 

[With agency inputs]