The political discourse between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has escalated sharply ahead of the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, with both parties exchanging strongly worded letters and accusations. AAP leader and Delhi’s former Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, took the unusual step of addressing RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in a letter on Wednesday, raising concerns about the BJP’s alleged undemocratic practices and questioning whether the RSS supports such actions.
Kejriwal’s letter highlighted what he described as "wrongdoings" by the BJP, including accusations of vote-buying and alleged efforts to disenfranchise marginalized communities in Delhi. Referring to media reports that the RSS would campaign for the BJP, he posed pointed questions to Bhagwat, such as whether the RSS endorses vote-buying and the targeting of the votes of the poor, Dalits, and migrants from Purvanchal.
The letter read:
- "BJP leaders are openly buying votes by distributing money. Does the RSS support vote-buying?"
- "On a large scale, efforts are being made to cut the votes of the poor, Dalits, people from Purvanchal, and slum dwellers, even though these people have been living here for many years. Does the RSS think that doing this is right for Indian democracy?"
The BJP swiftly countered Kejriwal’s allegations in a New Year letter penned by Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, offering Kejriwal "advice" for the year ahead. Sachdeva accused Kejriwal of lying, making false promises, and taking donations from what he termed "anti-national forces." The BJP’s rebuttal included a direct appeal for Kejriwal to commit to honesty and transparency in governance.
The BJP letter stated:
- "Kejriwal should stop lying and read our questions."
- "The people of Delhi hope that Kejriwal will stop lying in the new year."
- "Hopefully, now Kejriwal will not take false oaths on his children."
- "Kejriwal should pledge that he will not accept donations from anti-national forces and will refrain from making false promises to the people of Delhi."
The AAP and BJP’s confrontations reflect the high stakes of the impending Delhi Assembly elections, expected to take place before February. While AAP accuses the BJP of vote-buying and manipulating voter lists, the BJP counters with charges of corruption and broken promises by AAP’s leadership. These intense exchanges are likely to shape the narrative in the run-up to the elections as both parties vie for control of Delhi’s 70 legislative assembly seats.
