Rift In INDI Alliance Over Delhi: Rahul Gandhi Criticises Kejriwal’s ‘False Promises,’ AAP Chief Hits Back at Congress

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday (13 January) criticised Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal in his first rally for the Delhi assembly election scheduled for 5 February.

This was a rare attack as both Congress and AAP are constituents of INDI Alliance and contested together in Delhi in the 2024 Lok Sabha election but are opponents in the assembly election.

Gandhi blamed former Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal for the escalating "pollution and inflation" during his inaugural public rally for the assembly elections in the nation's capital.

"Arvind Kejriwal had said that he would clean Delhi, remove corruption, and turn the national capital into Paris. What actually happened - one cannot move around due to pollution and inflation is rising," Gandhi said.

After addressing 'Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan' public meeting in Seelampur, Gandhi attacked Kejriwal on social media as well, equating his promises to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "false promises".

Kejriwal responded on social media by saying that while Gandhi was battling to preserve the Congress, his own struggle was aimed at safeguarding the country.

"Today, Rahul Gandhi came to Delhi. He abused me a lot. But I will not comment on his statements," the AAP chief wrote on X in Hindi, taking a dig at the poor state of Congress.

Gandhi also criticised the AAP for their silence on the caste census issue, pledging that if Congress were to form the government in the national capital, a caste survey in Delhi would be conducted.

The Congress leader appealed for public backing to secure a win for the party in Delhi, following two election cycles where they didn't gain a single seat. He confidently stated that the party would guarantee Delhi's progress, as it did previously under Sheila Dikshit's administration.

"Neither Kejriwal nor the BJP can accomplish what the Congress has achieved," declared Gandhi, appealing to understand that only Congress can save the Constitution.