The Congress on Saturday saw the open infighting within Aam Aadmi Party as “the laboratory of AAP experiment” going “on fire” and attacked its leader Arvind Kejriwal of demeaning his party even as the BJP described it as a “struggle for power” reflecting “opportunism”.
The CPI(M) sought to term the development an “internal affair” but said it should not affect welfare of people. Taking a dig at AAP, former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said it was becoming more like “older parties”.
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, “First AAP should set its house in order and start delivering in Delhi. That is our concern, Delhi citizens’ concern and Delhi community’s concern. And this kind of laundering goes on in open spectacle every day... Then I think Delhi is the biggest sufferer,” said Singhvi, adding allegations and counter-allegations by rival factions in AAP are “extremely serious”.
Another Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha said, “I understand that AAP is an experiment. But right now it so happens that the laboratory is on fire. That’s all.” Singhvi accused Kejriwal of insulting the political class. Absolute power has made AAP “immoral” and its true character is now visible to the people, the Congress leader said. “Kejriwal’s abusive utterances demean him and AAP but also cheapen the political class and reflect true uninspiring chaal, charitra and chehra of AAP,” Singhvi tweeted.
For his part, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said AAP should not lose the opportunity with its immature” politics and should deliver on the poll promises made to the people of Delhi. He said people of Delhi had high hopes when they voted for Arvind Kejriwal Government and he never expected “such politics” to emerge. “This new kind of politics which has emerged wherein when a politician talks, the conversation is recorded. Well! I never expected this kind of politics,” Jaitley said at a Press conference in Varanasi.
Describing the tussle within AAP a “struggle for power” that reflected “opportunism”, another BJP leader and national spokesperson Nalin Kohli said Delhi will not see any progress in such a situation and those who were elected to form the Government would have to answer to the public for letting them down.
The BJP, which is the sole Opposition party with its three members in the 70-member Delhi Assembly, also charged that AAP’s internal conflict was neither a fight of principles and nor did it involve values or have any element of democracy, principles which the ruling outfit likes to boast about.
“Essentially, this is an internal matter of AAP. But people gave an historic mandate to this party hoping that development will take place in Delhi and it can become a global city. (But) if we look at the developments over the last few days, clearly, all of this has to do with the fight for power. It is a fight of opportunism,” said Kohli.
Taking up the issue of the Delhi Government appointing 21 Principal Secretaries, he said it was an example of how AAP was sharing the fruits of office among its members. “(AAP) on a daily basis tries to level false allegations against somebody else to cover up for its own non-performance or quest for power. Now, they are making accusations against each other within the party”, said BJP National Secretary.
Senior spokesperson and AICC general secretary Shakeel Ahmad, who is in-charge of Delhi affairs of the party, took a sideswipe at the AAP chief saying, “Kejriwal is totally justified for taking the help of “bouncers”, his health doesn’t permit to take on a lot of people.”
He further said, “Silence of Kejriwal is a clear indication to the other faction of AAP that ‘Go To Hell’ and let me rule with the help of my MlAs.” CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury said: “The ongoing tussle is the internal affair of the party and they must resolve it so that the people of Delhi don’t have to suffer.”