DEORA, MAKEN SPAR OVER AAP PERFORMANCE
Bickering within the Congress escalated after some leaders praised Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP for the landslide win in the Delhi polls, with senior leaders Ajay Maken and Milind Deora squabbling on Twitter.
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Congress leaders in the rest of India commenting upon issues outside their states need to look at their own performances, their own responsibilities and their own commitment to the party.
RANDEEP SINGH SURJEWALA, chief spokesperson, Congress
NEWDELHI:THE bickering within the Congress after some of its leaders praised Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the landslide in the Delhi assembly elections escalated with two senior leaders Ajay Maken and Milind Deora squabbling in public.
In a strong advisory on Monday, the Congress once again cautioned its leaders against having a public spat and asked them to introspect about their own contribution and responsibilities instead.
The Twitter war started with Deora praising Kejriwal for making Delhi the most “fiscally prudent” government under his leadership. Maken attacked him for his “half-baked facts” and even went to the extent of saying, he may leave the Congress if he wishes so.
Deora, a former union minister and a former Mumbai Congress chief, on Sunday evening posted a tweet along with a video clip of Kejriwal speaking in the Delhi assembly about his government having doubled the revenue over the past five years.
“Sharing a lesser known & welcome fact — the @Arvindkejriwal -led Delhi Government doubled its revenues to Rs 60,000 crore & maintained a revenue surplus over the last 5 years. Food for thought: Delhi is now one of India’s most fiscally prudent governments,” he tweeted.
Kejriwal promptly retweeted the post, prompting Maken, a former Delhi Congress chief, to hit back at Deora.
“Brother, you want to leave @Incindia-please do-then propagate half baked facts!,” Maken said and compared the revenue generated from 1998 onwards when the Congress was in power to that under the Kejriwal government.
“However, let me share even lesser known facts-1997-98-be (Revenue) 4,073cr, 2013-14-BE (Revenue) 37,459cr…during Congress Govt Grew at 14.87% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate). 2015-16 BE 41,129, and 2019-20 BE 60,000… AAP Gov 9.90% CAGR,” he tweeted.
Deora retorted on Monday. “Brother, I would never undermine Sheila Dikshit’s stellar performance as Delhi CM. That’s your specialty. But it’s never too late to change! Instead of advocating an alliance with AAP, if only you had highlighted Sheila ji’s achievements, @Incindia would’ve been in power today,” he tweeted.
When contacted, Deora refused to comment on the matter. Maken said, “I have said whatever I had to in the tweet. I don’t wish to add anything further to it.”
Congress’ chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the party had unequivocally told its Delhi leaders to introspect their roles and responsibilities.
“I urge each one of the Congress leaders, that they should concentrate first their role and responsibility in strengthening the Congress in their respective constituencies and the state that they come from,” Surjewala told reporters at the Congress headquarters in Delhi.
He said the day they will be able to do so, they will be making a positive Yeoman’s contribution to not only the growth of the party but also the politics of pluralism and inclusiveness that they all espouse.
Surjewala said sometimes in the heat of the moment, people make remarks but every such statement is not treated as an affront.
“This advisory to all the seasoned and young leaders should help them look at their own role and responsibility,” he said in comments seen as a reprimand to all the leaders fighting with each other in public.
In a fiercely fought assembly election, the AAP emerged victorious with 62 seats while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured eight seats. The Congress drew a blank for the second time. Kejriwal was sworn in as Delhi chief minister for the third time on Sunday.
Soon after the results last week, Delhi Mahila Congress chief Sharmistha Mukherjee took on former finance minister P Chidambaram for lauding AAP’S victory.