Kejriwal cites ‘IB report’ to claim AAP forming Gujarat government, sparks row
AHMEDABAD: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday kicked up a row by saying that an “Intelligence Bureau report” suggests that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is set to form the government in Gujarat if elections are held today. The Congress promptly rejected his claim, calling out the AAP chief’s claim.
Addressing a press conference in Rajkot, Kejriwal said, “According to sources, a recent IB report says that if elections are held in Gujarat today, then the government of Aam Aadmi Party will be formed in the state. The report says that this government is being formed with a less margin, and that we are winning with very few seats.”
However, he also appealed to people to vote for the AAP in large numbers, saying that he wanted to have a thumping majority in the elections. Kejriwal also claimed that since the report was made available to the government, the BJP and Congress have joined hands, and group meetings are going on. He added that the BJP is frightened by the report, and the leaders of both the parties are making allegations against the AAP in the same language.
Congress leaders reacted aggressively to Kejriwal’s allegations against the party. Questioning his claim, Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said, “Everyone knows that Kejriwal is a liar. After his claim, the first question that arises is how did the IB report become accessible to Kejriwal? And if he had this report then why did he make this confidential report public? Isn’t making the IB report public a violation of the oath of secrecy? Kejriwal is a former government officer, he should know this.”
Demanding an investigation into Kejriwal’s claims, Doshi added, “The matter should be probed, and he should apologise to the people of Gujarat for lying so openly.” Kejriwal and the Congress have for long been calling each other a ‘B’ team of the BJP.
According to Kejriwal, the BJP wants Congress to be stronger in the state so that the anti-incumbency votes are divided, and so it’s making efforts to make the Congress stronger. He also claimed that a few Congress MLAs were to join the saffron party, but now the BJP leaders have asked them not to quit the Congress so that it does not get weakened further.