Cong slams AAP, calls it party without ideology

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 17

Even as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s sit-in at the L-G’s house has attracted the Opposition’s support, the Congress continues to maintain a distance from Aam Aadmi Party, slamming its “trademark dharna politics” and Khalistan stand.

“AAP is a party without any ideology. Sukhpal Singh Khaira, the Leader of Opposition in Punjab, representing AAP is talking of Khalistan in this day and age. You want the Congress to join hands with a party which talks of Khalistan? No, it will never happen,” Pawan Khera, Congress leader and a confidante of former CM Sheila Dikshit said today articulating the party’s stand.

Meanwhile, Congress veteran Ahmed Patel met TMC chief and Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee this evening to signal a resilient anti-BJP Opposition unity despite the Delhi stalemate where the Congress has taken a stand reverse to the larger Opposition — something Banerjee doesn’t appear comfortable with.

The meeting was timed after Banerjee, Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, Andhra CM N Chandrababu Naidu and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to the Centre seeking resolution of Kejriwal’s issues.

The Congress believes in its resurgence in Delhi and sees AAP as a dying force. Patel may well have hammered this point to Banerjee whose stand on coalitions has been clear. She has said everyone should back the party most likely to defeat the BJP in a given state. “In Delhi that’s us,” says Congress.

On growing Opposition support for Kejriwal even from the DMK and JMM, Khera said, “Sorry, it is not the Congress which is isolated in this issue. It is Kejriwal. He is isolated and is seeking everyone’s support.”

Further, the Congress media head says the alliances will not compromise party interests in states. Ideologically, the Congress sees AAP as closer to BJP. The party also asks why AAP fights elections only in states where Congress stands to gain in a bipolar contest. Cases in point are Punjab and now Haryana. “AAP is BJP’s B team and Kejriwal played a major role in making Narendra Modi the PM in 2014,” says Delhi Congress chief Ajay Makan.

‘State interest above alliances’ 

• The Congress on Sunday said the party’s Delhi move was in line with its ‘won’t sacrifice state interests for alliances’ policy
• It lashed out at AAP, saying it was BJP’s B team and always fought in states where it stood to gain in bipolar contests