The rift between alliance partners Congress and AAP has reached a new height with leaders of both parties accusing each other of indulging in rampant corruption. Evidently, on Saturday (19 August), AAP National Convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal along with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann blamed the Congress government for deeply entrenched corruption in the poll-bound state of Chhattisgarh.
AAP Senior leaders addressed a rally in Raipur to campaign against the incumbent Congress government, which is ironically their alliance partner at the National level. Addressing the party workers at the Townhall, Kejriwal slammed the state government and said that government schools in Chhattisgarh are in a ‘terrible’ condition.
He said, “Before coming here, I was reading a report. bura haal hai sarkari schools ka (government schools are in terrible condition). Many schools have been shut down by them (the ruling Congress regime), while in others, there is only a single teacher for ten classes.”
He added, “Many teachers have not received their salaries for months… teachers are being made to everything except teaching. ”
Kejriwal argued that the incumbent Congress government is badly rattled by the large gathering AAP has amassed in its election rallies. Accusing the state government of canceling permission for larger halls, Kejriwal asked the party workers to cancel (uproot) the Congress government in the upcoming assembly elections.
During his address, Punjab CM Mann too highlighted that corruption is all pervasive under the Congress government and vowed that if AAP successfully topples the Bhupesh Bhaghel government in the state, they will make Chhattisgarh a corruption-free state.
Earlier, in the day, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit called AAP leaders ‘mice’. He also alleged that Arvind Kejriwal wants to misuse power to shield himself from anti-corruption probes. He said, “The kind of power Kejriwal wants for transfers, postings, to save himself from an anti-corruption branch, is not ethical.”
Since its inception, the Congress-AAP alliance under the banner I.N.D.I.A., has been caught in stormy waters. First, it was the dilly-dallying of Congress and AAP’s blackmailing over the issue of the Delhi Services Bill, but this week, tensions have escalated between the two on the issue of seat sharing row.
After Congress leader Alka Lamba stated that the grand old party will fight on all seven seats in Delhi, the birthing place of its alliance partner AAP. It was seen as a clear bid of sidelining their coalition partner AAP. Afterward, on Friday, 18 August, AAP’s state President Naveen Paliwal announced that his party, AAP will contest all 200 assembly seats in Rajasthan.
Now, escalating the assault, AAP’s two seniormost leaders Delhi and Punjab Chief Minister have opened a new front against Congress’ state government. This also becomes a major betrayal as it is coming at a time when the Baghel government is facing stiff opposition and flakes on the issue of the recent expose of back-to-back corruption scams in the state.