Centre's ordinance row: Amid a strong buzz that Congress high command had decided to support Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over its fight against BJP over Centre's ordinance on posting and transfer of officials, grand old party leader Ajay Maken on Tuesday threw a wet blanket on the possibility of friendship between AAP and Congress.
"How can they (AAP) make their fight, people’s fight? They say they have done a lot of work in education, health... The credit that they take, is also the work of the officers deployed in Delhi, did they bring officers from Andaman & Nicobar Islands?" said Maken.
He said AAP leaders were scared as they were trapped now. "They (AAP leaders) are dodging people’s attention. They are trapped in liquor scam and other scams," he added.
Another Congress leader and son of former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit, Sandeep Dikshit also opposed possible support to AAP from his party. "The way in which Arvind Kejriwal has been running govt in Delhi is absolutely atrocious and thoroughly dishonest & corrupt. Congress can only stand with him if we betray both our tenets & our understanding of the Constitution. For the benefit of the people of Delhi, I request my party not to consider in any way supporting AAP," said Dikshit.
Change in Kejriwal's stand
The recent ordinance brought by the Modi government compelled Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to compromise from its earlier stand that it would never ever make a partnership with Congress. AAP on Monday sought the support of all non-BJP parties in defeating in Rajya Sabha a bill to replace the Centre's ordinance on Delhi's Services matter, saying this is a "time for agni pariksha" for Opposition parties, and they should come together if they want to save the country's democracy and Constitution.
Also read- Why Congress' support to AAP against Centre's ordinance will be a turning point ahead of 2024
The AAP's appeal to the Opposition parties comes ahead of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's plan to reach out to each of them to seek their support, starting with his West Bengal counterpart and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Tuesday. According to the AAP, Kejriwal will travel to Mumbai to meet Shiv Sena (UBT) chief leader Uddhav Thackeray and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar on Wednesday and Thursday respectively.
Congress and AAP
AAP Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson Sanjay Singh said the Congress will also have to decide if it stands in favour of India's democracy and federal structure or against them.
Nitish Kumar factor
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. And there was media reports that he might have convinced Congress leadership to support AAP on the ordinance. Hours after their meeting, there was a strong buzz in the political corridor that Congress had decided to support Kejriwal's party.
