New Delhi, Apr 25 (PTI) AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal hit out at both the Congress and the BJP at the launch of his party’s manifesto Thursday, accusing the ruling party of fulfilling Pakistan’s agenda of dividing the country and claiming that Rahul Gandhi would be solely responsible if the BJP came back to power.
The AAP, in the manifesto, has promised 85 per cent reservation in colleges and jobs for the people of the national capital. The party also promised to fill up vacancies in the police force to ensure women’s safety and a house for all Delhiites in 10 years.
Kejriwal said the BJP is fulfilling Pakistan’s agenda of dividing India and asserted that his party would do everything to stop the Modi-Shah duo from coming back to power.
He also hit out at Gandhi, saying the Congress president would be the only person responsible if the BJP came back to power.
He slammed the Gandhi scion days after both the parties failed to form an alliance in Delhi for the Lok Sabha elections.
“I can say that we tried our best to form an alliance with the Congress and if the BJP comes back to power, only one person would be responsible for it and that would be Rahul Gandhi,” he said.
“I want to ask Rahul Gandhi which alliance is formed on Twitter. If they were serious about forming an alliance, they should have come to the table for negotiations. Giving statements in public is not going to solve the problem,” he said.
On Gandhi’s comment that he would try till the last moment to form an alliance with the AAP in Delhi, Kejriwal said, “This is posturing. They don’t have an intention”.
The Congress, in response, said Kejriwal was himself confused.
“The Congress’ top leadership had extended a hand for alliance towards him, but he brushed it aside. Then he says the Congress is responsible if Modi ji wins. In Delhi, now he is mixing politics and religion,” Ragini Nayak, Congress spokesperson, said.
“I remember the big dreams that he had shown — morality in politics, transparency in politics, inclusive politics and today, he is doing what the BJP does, that if you are Hindu, vote for them, or if you are Muslim, vote for them. I feel this is not good for the strength of democracy,” she added.
The Delhi BJP Thursday dubbed the Aam Aadmi Party’s manifesto as a “document of deceit” and said Kejriwal was “misleading” the people of the national capital over the issue of full statehood.
Speaking on the seat-sharing arrangement proposed by the Congress, Kejriwal said giving three seats to the Congress would mean losing on all those seats.
Kejriwal went on to say that the Congress was not getting a single Hindu vote, while the Muslims were a little confused as well.
The Delhi chief minister said the AAP will support any “secular mahagathbandhan” after the general elections. He said this election could prove to be a “turning point” in the history of the country.
“This election is the fight to save the nation, democracy and the Constitution of the country,” he said.
Kejriwal termed the BJP’s manifesto as “a manifesto of jumlas” and said that the saffron party’s real poll document was the one line its president Amit Shah tweeted in April.
Quoting Shah’s alleged tweet that the BJP will remove every single infiltrator from this country except Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs, Kejriwal said it meant that the BJP’s plan was to remove all religions except these three from the country.
He said even Pakistan wanted to divide India.
“The BJP is fulfilling Pakistan’s agenda of dividing India..of weakening it,” Kejriwal added.
The Aam Aadmi Party’s manifesto has been divided into two sections — one about what the party did without the full statehood and what it will do if it is granted.
The manifesto, featuring Kejriwal’s photograph on the front page, focused on the 12 areas of education, health, women’s safety, police reforms, zero corruption, jobs, land and housing, protection from sealing, cleanliness, pollution, transport and Yamuna rejuvenation.
“We will secure 85 per cent of the seats of Delhi colleges for residents of the city. Sixty-five per cent jobs of the region similarly will be secured for locals,” Kejriwal said.
Apart from the chief minister, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, senior party leaders Gopal Rai and Sanjay Singh and all seven candidates were present at the unveiling of the poll document for the Lok Sabha election. Voting will be held in Delhi in a single phase on May 12.
It has a chart that compares Delhi with London, Berlin, Moscow, Mexico City, Ottawa and Washington City, and points out that all the other national capitals have power over local police, appointment and transfer of officials, land and city planning, housing, traffic and transport planning and control over local bodies, while Delhi has none of it.
The manifesto also highlights the history of the struggle for full statehood.
The AAP is fielding Pankaj Gupta from Chandni Chowk, Atishi from East Delhi, Gugan Singh from North West Delhi, Raghav Chadha from South Delhi, Dilip Pandey from North East Delhi, Balbir Singh Jakhar from West Delhi and Brajesh Goel from New Delhi.
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