Congress critisises Arvind Kejriwal's AAP rally, calls it publicity gimmick

New Delhi, Aug 4: It's

's Aam Aadmi Party yet again as

on Sunday dubbed

's rally as a "damp squib".

Congress accused AAP leader Kejriwal of again trying to "mislead" the people of Delhi "to grab power" following his "misadventure" in the Lok Sabha polls.

In a stinging attack on Kejriwal, senior Delhi Congress leader Mukesh Sharma said the AAP leader held the rally only to demand holding of assembly elections in Delhi when the people in the city were reeling under escalating prices of vegetables, fruits and essential commodities.

"Kejriwal's rally at Jantar Mantar was a total failure. It did not find any support from people of Delhi. In fact most people in the rally were AAP volunteers from Delhi and other states. Kejriwal wants to again mislead people to grab power but this time he will not be successful," Sharma, who is also DPCC chief spokesperson, said.

The Congress leader claimed that only "7,000 paid volunteers" of AAP along with people from other neighbouring states participated in the rally and people of Delhi kept away.

Addressing a rally at Jantar Mantar, Kejriwal gave a week's time to the Centre for dissolution of Delhi Assembly to pave way for fresh assembly polls and threatened to start a door-to-door campaign if the demand was not met.

Sharma said though Kejriwal led government had resigned over the Jan Lokpal Bill in February, the former Chief Minister has "forgotten" about the proposed anti-graft legislation and wants to grab power again in Delhi "by hook or crook".

The 49-day-old Kerjriwal government had resigned on February 14 after it was defeated on the issue of tabling of the Janlokpal Bill in Delhi assembly in the face of a united resistance by outside supporter Congress and opposition BJP.

"Why Kejriwal is not talking about the Jan Lokpal Bill and Swaraj Bill. He had deceived people of Delhi on Jan Lokpal Bill, Swaraj Bill, power and water tariff and many other issues. People will not allow him to deceive them again.

"He has been totally rejected by citizens of Delhi," Sharma, a four-time former MLA, said. Alleging that Kejriwal has "close links" with BJP, he said after ensuring benefit to the party in the Lok Sabha polls, the AAP chief has decided not to contest the upcoming elections in Maharastra, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand and Haryana.

"We want to know why AAP, which has taken donations from people all over the country, is now shying away from contesting elections in other states.

"AAP contested the Lok Sabha polls to benefit BJP. As his mission was over, the party now does not want to fight polls in other states," he alleged.

Sharma said, "Kejriwal has misled the people by promising to make electricity 50 per cent cheaper at his Jantar Mantar speech though the truth is that subsidy of upto 400 units was made possible due to support of Congress MLAs."

The Kejriwal government had extended subsidy of 50 per cent on power tariff to consumers whose monthly consumption did not exceed 400 units. The subsidy scheme had lapsed on March 31.

Kejriwal gave a week's time to the Centre for dissolution of Delhi Assembly

Claiming that AAP has lost all its support base, the DPCC spokesperson also alleged that Kejriwal had "struck deals" with top leading corporate houses and that is "why he was not questioning Adani, Ambani and other corporate leaders".

BJP had emerged the single largest party after the assembly polls in December last year with 32 seats including ally Akali Dal's one MLA in the 70-member House.

BJP fell four seats short of a simple majority and had refused to form government in December last year, saying it did not have the numbers and will not resort to any "unfair means" to take the reins.

AAP with 28 MLAs had later formed the government with support of eight Congress MLAs.

President's rule was imposed in Delhi on February 17 after AAP government had resigned.

Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung had not favoured dissolution of the 70-member Delhi Assembly as recommended by the Council of Ministers headed by Kejriwal and kept the Assembly in suspended animation.

Jung is likely to send a report to the Centre shortly on the political situation in the city.

The BJP has already said that it was ready for fresh election.

With PTI inputs

OneIndia News