Thu Dec 26 09:39:11 UTC 2024: ## AAP Threatens to Oust Congress from INDIA Alliance Over Maken’s Remarks

**New Delhi:** The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) issued an ultimatum to the INDIA opposition alliance today, threatening to push for the Congress’s removal unless action is taken against Delhi Congress leader Ajay Maken. The move marks a significant escalation in the already strained relationship between the two parties, throwing the Opposition’s unity into jeopardy ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections.

AAP leaders, including Chief Minister Atishi and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, accused Maken of acting at the BJP’s behest, alleging he is deliberately targeting AAP and its leader Arvind Kejriwal to benefit the BJP in the upcoming elections. Singh specifically cited Maken’s recent accusation that Kejriwal is “anti-national,” noting the Congress’s lack of similar criticism towards BJP leaders.

This conflict comes despite the AAP and Congress’s previous electoral alliance in the Delhi Lok Sabha elections, where Kejriwal even campaigned for Congress candidates. Singh highlighted AAP’s consistent support for Congress in Parliament and its attempts to forge an alliance in Haryana, contrasting this with what they see as Congress’s deliberate undermining of AAP in Delhi.

Singh demanded that Congress act against Maken within 24 hours; otherwise, AAP will approach other INDIA alliance partners to seek Congress’s expulsion. Atishi echoed these sentiments, alleging that Congress’s actions demonstrate a tacit alliance with the BJP in Delhi. She pointed to the fact that Congress has filed police complaints against AAP leaders but not against the BJP.

Maken, meanwhile, defended his actions, releasing a 12-point white paper criticizing both AAP and BJP for alleged mismanagement in Delhi. He labeled Kejriwal as “Farziwal” (fraudster), accusing the AAP of failing to deliver on its anti-corruption promises.

The AAP and Congress, while currently part of the INDIA alliance, have a long history of rivalry in Delhi and Punjab. The AAP’s rise to power in Delhi in 2015 marked the end of Congress’s 15-year rule in the capital. This latest confrontation significantly threatens the fragile unity of the INDIA alliance as it prepares to face the BJP in upcoming state and national elections.

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