Delhi Election 2025: AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi exchanged sharp political barbs on Monday, highlighting the strained ties between the two INDIA bloc partners ahead of the Delhi assembly elections.
Speaking at a public rally in Seelampur, Rahul Gandhi accused Kejriwal of adopting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “strategy of propaganda and false promises” while failing to address critical issues like pollution, corruption, and inflation in the national capital.
आज राहुल गांधी जी दिल्ली आए। उन्होंने मुझे बहुत गालियाँ दीं। पर मैं उनके बयानों पर कोई टिप्पणी नहीं करूँगा।
उनकी लड़ाई कांग्रेस बचाने की है, मेरी लड़ाई देश बचाने की है।
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 13, 2025
Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s criticism, Kejriwal took to X (formerly Twitter) and accused the Congress leader of prioritising party interests over national concerns. “Today Rahul Gandhi came to Delhi. He abused me a lot. But I will not comment on his statements. His fight is to save Congress, my fight is to save the country,” Kejriwal wrote.
The exchange comes amidst tensions between the Congress and AAP, which contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together in Delhi but are now contesting the February 5 assembly polls independently. Their alliance suffered a blow after a failed pre-poll agreement for the Haryana assembly elections last year.
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Delhi Election 2025 — ‘Neither Modi Nor Kejriwal Says A Word On Caste Census’: Rahul Gandhi In Seelampur
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha also criticised both Kejriwal and Modi for their silence on the caste census, alleging that they do not want backward classes, Dalits, tribals, and minorities to receive their due share.
“When I talk of caste census, neither Modi says a word nor does Kejriwal because both want that backward sections, Dalits, tribals, and minorities do not get their due share (bhaagidari),” Rahul said. He promised that the Congress would conduct a caste survey in Delhi and remove the reservation cap if voted to power.
Rahul further attacked Kejriwal over unfulfilled promises. “Kejriwal had said he would clean Delhi, remove corruption, and turn the national capital into Paris. What actually happened? One cannot move around due to pollution, and inflation is rising,” he remarked.
In a fiery speech, Rahul underscored a battle of ideologies in the country, asserting, “It is written in the Constitution that India belongs to everyone. The BJP-RSS people spread hatred and make people fight.” He also alleged that the Constitution drafted by B.R. Ambedkar is under attack. “Till I am alive, I will protect every Indian from assault, be it Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, or Christians,” he said.
The Congress, which once dominated Delhi under Sheila Dikshit’s leadership, has struggled to regain its foothold in the city since the rise of the AAP. Rahul, in his speech, appealed to voters to support the Congress, promising development akin to that seen during Dikshit’s tenure.
