New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a blistering attack on AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday, saying the former chief minister came talking about bringing in clean politics but the biggest "liquor scam" took place in Delhi under his watch.
Kejriwal started with a promise of bringing in a new kind of politics but he now lives in a "sheesh mahal", Gandhi told a public rally in Patparganj here for the February 5 assembly polls.
Gandhi took a swipe at former deputy chief minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia too, calling him, along with Kejriwal, the "architect of the liquor scam".
Gandhi urged people to vote for the Congress candidate Anil Chaudhary as Sisodia had "run away" from the Patparganj constituency after indulging in corruption.
Gandhi said the AAP chief was nowhere to be found when the poor needed him the most and when there was violence in Delhi, an apparent reference to the February 2020 riots.
The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha also launched a stinging attack on the BJP, saying they talked about '400 paar' to change the Constitution.
"A few days ago, (RSS chief) Mohan Bhagwat stated that India did not get true independence on August 15, 1947, and it was achieved when Modi ji came. This means he insulted the Constitution and (BR) Ambedkar ji. If independence wasn't achieved on 15th August 1947 then what is the meaning of this," he said with a copy of the Constitution in his hand.
"The fruit of freedom is our Constitution and BJP leaders say that we got freedom when Modi ji came and Ram temple was inaugurated. At the Ram temple inauguration, not one poor person was seen. Our tribal President was not allowed there. When Parliament was inaugurated, there also she was not called," he said.
A battle of ideology is going on and on one hand, there are the BJP-RSS people who spread hatred and on the other hand is the Congress and its ideology, he said.
"The best way to explain it is that 'nafrat ke bazar mein mohabbat ki dukaan kholni hai (spreading love to counter hatred). We do not want an India filled with hatred and fear, we want 'mohabbat ki dukaan'," Gandhi said.
"RSS-BJP makes brothers, people of different castes and religions fight against each other. Then there is (former Delhi CM Arvind) Kejriwal, who had a small car when he came and declared that he will indulge in a new kind of politics. He had climbed an electric poll and promised to transform Delhi," the former Congress chief said.
"But when the poor people needed him, he was nowhere to be found, when there was violence in Delhi, he was nowhere to be seen. He (Kejriwal) talked about clean politics and the biggest liquor scam took place in Delhi and you saw his home...I was thrown out of my house by Modi ji, I handed them the keys and said you can keep it. Kejriwal ji lives in Sheesh Mahal," Gandhi said.
The BJP has often used the 'sheesh mahal' jibe to attack Kejriwal with allegations of corruption in the renovation of the chief minister's residence when he was the CM.
Gandhi asserted that a fight is ongoing to protect Ambedkar's Constitution.
Lashing out at the media, Gandhi said it does not show people's issues but is more interested in the Ambani wedding.
"Youth have no jobs, you can't breathe in Delhi but media shows Modi ji's face, Ambani wedding and Adani's airports," the Congress leader said.
He alleged the BJP wants an India that is run by billionaires while the Constitution talks about equality.
The BJP wants to hand over the country's resources to one billionaire and make people fight on religious and caste lines, Gandhi said, adding the ruling party's intention is to take the money from the hands of common people and hand it over to billionaires.
"(Gautam) Adani ji is Modi's friend. The crores of rupees that are there in Adani ji's company, its control is in the hands of Modi," he alleged.
He said one would not find Dalits, tribals and backwards among the owners of the 500 biggest companies in India.
He also highlighted that there is hardly any participation of Dalits, backwards and tribals in deciding the allocation of funds in the budget as there is sparse representation of these communities in important sectors.
Gandhi questioned Modi's silence on the Congress' demand for the caste census and reiterated that the Congress will ensure a nationwide caste census wherever the party's government comes into power.
Gandhi also reiterated that Congress would "throw out" the 50 per cent cap on reservation.
