NEW DELHI: In a dramatic turn of events, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge found themselves at the receiving end of an ambush by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during the Patna opposition meeting on June 23rd. AAP party sources revealed the shocking details to The New Indian on Saturday.
Sources within the AAP disclosed that Kejriwal had sought a meeting with Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge at the opposition gathering to address the contentious issue of the ordinance. However, in front of 14 other opposition party leaders, Kejriwal openly challenged Rahul Gandhi to clarify his party’s stance on the ordinance, only to be met with an unsettling refusal to respond. Rahul Gandhi even dismissed the AAP’s eagerness to meet him as a mischievous ploy.
Undeterred, Kejriwal made another attempt to engage with Rahul and Kharge during a tea session, yet once again faced rejection from Rahul Gandhi, who emphasized that decisions would solely be made by the party president. A nameless AAP leader expressed disappointment, highlighting the AAP’s willingness to put aside differences for the greater good, which went unheeded by the Congress.
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The Patna meet witnessed the convergence of at least 15 opposition parties, united in their aim to challenge the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in the forthcoming 2024 general elections. This crucial gathering, held in the capital city of Bihar, became a battleground of conflicting ideologies.
Prior to the meeting, the AAP had declared their intent to boycott if the Congress party failed to clarify its position on the ordinance. AAP leaders insisted that the Congress should at least publicly announce whether they supported or opposed the ordinance, a demand that fell on deaf ears.
During the opposition meeting, every party except the Congress extensively addressed the ordinance in their speeches, with each leader allocated ample time to express their views. Astonishingly, the Congress leaders remained conspicuously silent on the matter, leaving the AAP and others perplexed and disappointed. A party insider lamented the absence of any statement from the Congress. “At least 7-8 minutes were given to every party leader to talk, where everyone talked about the ordinance for 3-4 minutes but none of the Congress leaders spoke a single word on the ordinance,” said a party source.
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The Congress party justified their position, stating that they would only engage in discussions on the ordinance once it reached the parliament. However, the AAP leaders firmly believed that the numbers game would play a decisive role in the Rajya Sabha.
Amidst the escalating tensions, the AAP attended the Patna meet but chose to skip the subsequent press conference due to the Congress’s unsatisfactory response, as revealed by the insider source.
AAP issued a public press statement saying, “Until Congress denounces Black Ordinance & commits 31 RS MPs to oppose it, AAP won’t participate in meetings with Congress. Time for Congress to choose between Delhi people and Modi government.”
AAP slams Congress for not supporting on Ordinance
"Until Congress denounces Black Ordinance & commits 31 RS MPs to oppose it, AAP won't participate in meetings with Congress. Time for Congress to choose between Delhi people and Modi govt," reads its press note on Patna meet pic.twitter.com/P2FjCUbWG9
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) June 23, 2023
The clash between Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi over the Delhi ordinance reverberates with dramatic intensity, exposing the deep divisions and political power play at the heart of the opposition alliance.
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