'If you don't act against Maken in 24 hours...': AAP's ultimatum to Congress pushes INDIA bloc on edge

Ahead of the upcoming Delhi assembly polls, a fierce political showdown has erupted between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). On Thursday, the AAP launched a strong attack on Congress, alleging that the party is colluding with the BJP to undermine the AAP in the upcoming assembly elections.

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh accused Congress leaders Ajay Maken and Sandeep Dixit of targeting AAP instead of focusing on the BJP. "Ajay Maken has crossed all limits by calling Arvind Kejriwal anti-national. Despite campaigning for the Congress in past elections, Kejriwal now faces an FIR, while the Congress had never filed a single FIR against any BJP leader," Singh said.

The AAP leaders argued that the Congress' actions were undermining the unity of the INDIA bloc. "We had not said a single word against the Congress during the Haryana election. Yet the Congress seems to be reading out from the BJP's script. Its candidates' list looks as if it was finalised at the BJP office," Singh said.

Atishi echoed similar sentiments, stating that Congress is actively undermining AAP. "It is evident that Congress candidates like Sandeep Dixit and Farhad Suri are receiving support from the BJP. This collusion raises questions about the Congress's commitment to the INDIA alliance," she said.

The AAP has now demanded that the Congress take disciplinary action against Maken and other party leaders within 24 hours. Failure to act, according to the AAP, will result in a push to expel Congress from the INDIA alliance. "We will ask the other parties in the alliance to remove the Congress," Singh said.

Atishi further accused the Congress of making arrangements with the BJP for the Delhi elections. "Yesterday, Ajay Maken said that Arvind Kejriwal is anti-national. I want to ask the Congress party if they have ever levelled the same allegations against any BJP leader. No. But today, Congress is accusing Arvind Kejriwal of being anti-national," she said.

The Delhi CM also noted that Congress had filed an FIR against her and Arvind Kejriwal. "Why? Has Congress filed any FIR against any BJP leader ever? We have found through credible sources that Congress candidates' election expenditure is coming from the BJP. BJP is funding Congress candidates. We have heard that Sandeep Dixit is getting funded by BJP," Atishi alleged.

"If Congress thinks we (AAP) are anti-national, then why did they contest Lok Sabha elections in alliance with us? It is clear that Congress leaders have reached some mutual understanding with BJP to defeat AAP and make BJP win in Delhi. If there is no understanding between Congress and BJP, then they should take action against Ajay Maken within 24 hours," she said.

On Thursday, Congress leader Sandeep Dixit lodged a complaint with Delhi's Lieutenant Governor over AAP's proposed scheme for a Rs 2,100 monthly allowance for women. The previous day, the Youth Congress filed a complaint against Kejriwal, alleging he misled Delhi voters. The complaint, lodged at the Parliament Street Police Station, accuses AAP of collecting sensitive personal data, including Voter ID details and phone numbers, for the schemes.

The Youth Congress complaint argued that while the AAP promised a monthly allowance for women under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana, the Delhi government's Women and Child Development Department had publicly distanced itself from the initiative, clarifying that no such scheme exists. "This unequivocally establishes that the Aam Aadmi Party has engaged in fraudulent practices, thereby breaching the trust of the people of Delhi," the Youth Congress complaint stated.

Under the scheme, Kejriwal has promised to increase the allowance for women from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,100 if AAP wins the upcoming assembly elections. However, the Delhi government’s Women and Child Development issued public notices distancing itself from the AAP's promised scheme and said that no such scheme exists. 

The Delhi Assembly polls are due in February.