Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday for the first time targeted Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for staying in luxurious ‘Sheeshmahal’ and accused his party of getting indulged in excise policy scam case after promising of doing clean politics. Rahul Gandhi, whose several public meeting in the national capital was called off in last few days due to his ill health on Tuesday once again began his campaign in the national capital.
The former Congress chief earlier in the day began his campaign schedule by visiting Valmiki temple in New Delhi assembly seat along with party’s candidate Sandeep Dikshit. He offered prayers at the temple and then also spoke to several of the workers of the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) in the New Delhi assembly seat. Rahul Gandhi after his meeting with the NDMC workers shared that how due to privatisation and contract job policy of the BJP and the AAP government at the centre and in Delhi respectively thousands of people are getting unemployed and many are not getting proper salaries.
Rahul Gandhi said that he amd his party are regularly raising this issues as privatisation and contract job are tools to snatch the rights of poor and marginalized and his party will control it. Later in the day, the Lok Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli addressed two public meetings — one each in Patparganj and Okhla assembly seat. During his public meeting in Patparganj in East Delhi for party’s candidate Chaoudhary Anil Kimar targeted Kejriwal.
He said, “Kejriwal says anything that comes to his mind. When he came, he had a small car and had said that he will do a new kind of politics.” Lamenting at AAP leader, the Congress leader said that Kejriwal had said he will change Delhi but when poor people were in need, he wasn’t there, when riots (2020 northeast Delhi riots) happened he wasn’t there. “Kejriwal said he will do clean politics, but in Delhi, the biggest scam of excise policy case happened. And you all must have also seen the photo of his house. Kejriwal stays in a palace, ‘Sheesh Mahal’. So this is the truth,” the Gandhi scion said, adding that he does the politics of Sheesh mahal as he has forgotten to give in small car and bring the Lokpal Bill.
He further took a jibe at Kejriwal for giving himself the certificate of honesty. The Congress leader said: Kejriwal says for himself that he is honest. He gives certificate to himself and does jot ask the people. The one who is dishonest gives certificate of honesty to himself.” He then also targeted former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia for changing his assembly seat. He said: “Sisodia ji used to represent the Patparganj assembly seat, who was the architect of the excise policy scam. He left Patparganj and ran away from here, which is good thing.”
He also appealed the party workers to vote for Congress candidate Anil Kumar in the area who has a clean record. Rahul Gandhi also slammed Kejriwal for shivering from fear of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Taking a pot shot at Kejriwal, Rahul Gandhi said, “Understand one thing, I don’t know if all parties are scared of Modi or not but I know this that Kejriwal shivers from his name.” Rahul Gandhi then also continued his attack on BJP and the RSS and accused the central government of favoring few industrialists. He also spoke that how the country’s Constitution is in danger and the grand old party is fighting to protect it.
He then addressed another public meeting in Okhla for party’s candidate Ariba Asif Khan and appealed the people to vote for her. Voting for 70 member assembly seat is scheduled in the national capital on February 5 and counting of votes will take place on February 8. Congress which was reduced to zero seats in 2015 and 2020 assembly polls is looking to regain its lost ground in the national capital in the high octane triangular contest against the ruling AAP and the BJP.