'No difference between Kejriwal, Modi. Both make false promises': Rahul Gandhi
'No difference between Kejriwal, Modi. Both make false promises': Rahul Gandhi
M.U.H
14/01/202543
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday criticised AAP, a key ally of the INDIA bloc, equating its leader Arvind Kejriwal with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accusing both of making unfulfilled promises. In response, Kejriwal alleged that Gandhi “abused him” and reiterated that his fight was to “save the country,” while Gandhi was fighting to “save the Congress.”
Speaking at a rally in Seelampur, Gandhi highlighted the absence of support from both Modi and Kejriwal for a nationwide caste census. “You ask Kejriwal ji whether he wants reservations for the backward and a caste census. When I talk about the caste census, I don’t hear a word from both PM Modi and Kejriwal. There is no difference between Kejriwal and PM Modi as they both make false promises,” he said.
The tensions between Congress and AAP, which formed an alliance in Delhi during last year’s Lok Sabha elections, have been rising. Both parties failed to secure any seats in the national capital during those elections.
Gandhi accused PM Modi and Kejriwal of failing to address inflation and claimed that their policies have widened the gap between the rich and the poor. “PM Modi and Kejriwal do not want the backward and minorities to get their due. They are silent on the caste census,” he said, promising that the Congress would raise the reservation cap if elected in Delhi.
He also brought up allegations against Gautam Adani, citing the industrialist’s bribery case involving $265 million for solar energy contracts, and criticised Kejriwal for his silence. “Has Kejriwal ji ever spoken about Adani? We want equality and ‘bhaagidaari’ (participation) for the poor and minorities. I am speaking with clarity that we will not allow the country to be run by one businessman,” Gandhi said.
Targeting Kejriwal’s governance, Gandhi dismissed the “clean Delhi” promise as propaganda, stating that instead of improving, the city has been plagued by corruption, pollution, and inflation. “Kejriwal ji said when the Sheila Dikshit government was in power, he would make Delhi clean. But now, there is so much pollution. Inflation and corruption are touching sky-high. We will remove corruption if we come to power,” he said.
Meanwhile, AAP hinted at consulting other INDIA bloc parties to potentially exclude the Congress from the alliance after the latter filed a complaint accusing Kejriwal of misleading the public with promises of non-existent welfare schemes. The move has isolated Congress as parties like the Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and Samajwadi Party extended their support to AAP for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.
During the rally, Gandhi also emphasised a battle between two ideologies — one protecting the Constitution and the other undermining it. He accused the BJP and RSS of creating divisions and disrespecting BR Ambedkar’s Constitution. “They make brothers fight each other. Every day, PM Modi and BJP violate BR Ambedkar’s Constitution. In this country, love will defeat hatred. As long as I am alive, if any Indian is attacked, no matter which religion or caste he belongs to, I will protect him,” he said.
In his response, Kejriwal posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Today, Rahul Gandhi came to Delhi. He abused me a lot. But I will not comment on his statements. His fight is to save Congress, my fight is to save the country.”
In the 2020 Assembly elections, the AAP secured a commanding victory with 62 out of 70 seats, while the BJP won eight. The Congress did not win any seats.
The Delhi Assembly elections are scheduled to be held on February 5, and the results will be declared on February 8.