Bharat Ratna row: Congress activists demonstrate against AAP, demands apology from Kejriwal

Congress activists on Saturday staged a protest outside the AAP office in Delhi against a resolution passed by the Delhi government on Friday seeking withdrawl of Bharat Ratna to Rajiv Gandhi and demanded apology.

The Congress workers led by Delhi party unit chief Ajay Maken demonstrated outside the Aam Aadmi Party office at DDU Marg in central Delhi and raised slogans against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Addressing the party workers, Maken said: "It is very unfortunate that the AAP government passed a resolution in the Delhi Assembly yesterday (Friday) about taking back the Bharat Ratna awarded to the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to indulge in cheap politics by crossing all limits."

He said, "Kejriwal should apologise to the country and remove from the record of the Delhi Assembly the resolution passed by it, seeking taking back the Bharat Ratna to Rajiv Gandhi."

He also said that if need be, a special session of the Assembly should be called for the purpose.

The party then also carried out a candle light march to the BJP headquarters demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale fighter aircraft deal.

A balloon replica of Rafale aircraft, mounted on a mini van, was also on display.

The Congress workers carried placards and banners with slogans such as "Rafale saude ka sach batao, JPC se jaanch karao", "Narendra Modi ne kya kiya, court ko gumrah kiya", "JPC ka gathan karao, Rafale saude ki jaanch karao", "Chitti likhna nahi he kafi, Supreme Court se mange mafi" etc.

Maken said that the party workers will wage the battle, started by Congress president Rahul Gandhi to protest against the Rafale aircraft deal scam, which has compromised with the interest and security of the country, till those involved in the Rafale scam are brought to book.

He said that Rahul Gandhi's relentless fight against the Modi government's corruption has helped the Congress party come to power in three crucial States of the country in the recent Assembly elections.

The former Union Minister said that the Modi government, rattled by the corruption cases against it, has not only furnished wrong information and lied to mislead the Supreme Court, but has also violated the special powers of Parliament.

He alleged that the Modi government, to mislead the Supreme Court, had stated that the Comptroller and Auditor General had submitted its report on the Rafale deal to the Public Accounts Committee, whereas no such report had been prepared and submitted by the CAG to the PAC.

Maken said that the Rafale aircraft scam was the biggest corruption in defence deals.

--IANS

aks/prs