Congress, AAP continue to trade barbs over Delhi ordinance

Congress and AAP on Sunday refused to pipe down their fight over support to Delhi ordinance issue after the flare up in a meeting of Opposition parties in Patna, with leaders like Ajay Maken and Saurabh Bharadwaj joining the issue to attack each other.

Congress’ Maken alleged that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's actions were calculated moves to sabotage attempts to unite the Opposition and avoid being arrested.

On his part, AAP Minister Bharadwaj asked why Rahul Gandhi is not large-hearted when he says he has opened 'mohabbat ki dukan' (shops of love), in an apparent reference to the Congress not giving time for a meeting with Kejriwal on the ordinance issue.

Read: Opposition meet attendees disagree with AAP's attack on Cong on Ordinance issue

The comments came as Congress and AAP remained at loggerheads over the Delhi ordinance issue after the former said it would publicise its stand just before Parliament session.

AAP, however, was not impressed and issued a statement on Friday soon after the meeting pledging not to be part of any alliance in which Congress is a part besides refusing to attend Shimla meeting if it does not openly announce its support to vote against ordinance.

In a video statement posted on Twitter, Maken said Kejriwal is seeking Congress' support for the ordinance but "unabashedly ridicules" their leaders, including in Rajasthan.

"His ministers place prerequisites on our alliance, while their chief spokesperson publicly disparages our party and leaders on the day of the Opposition meeting. To brazenly criticise and then demand support, is this how alliances are sought?" Maken asked.

Claiming that Kejriwal's political manoeuvres in recent weeks have left "many baffled", he said the chief minister's "desperate attempts to evade imprisonment on corruption charges, wherein two of his colleagues are already jailed, are reasons for these actions."

"His proclamations of opposition unity are not for cohesion but a calculated move to sabotage it and curry favour with the BJP. Past actions of the AAP in Parliament, the Delhi Legislative Assembly, or elsewhere only reinforce their surreptitious alliance with the BJP," he said.

Bharadwaj said he always sees Rahul talking about spreading love while emphasising that the BJP spreads hate.

"So if Rahul Gandhi is running 'Mohabbat ki Dukan' then whosoever will come to him can buy that love. When he said that his party spread love then he has to show this also. Right now he is not in power so he is not having an ego but what if he becomes egoistic when he will be in power. So he needs to be balanced and shows that he is spreading love," he added.