BJP, Cong slam AAP over RS candidates

NEW DELHI: Starting from former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan to the final selection of two businessmen one of whom was previously a member of Delhi Pradesh Congress, the nomination of AAP for the Rajya Sabha got criticized in political and social sectors.

The state BJP, Congress and former party leaders slammed AAP claiming that the party has lost its basic principals of clean politics.

Delhi Pradesh Congress Chief Ajay Maken on Wednesday alleged that Sushil Gupta, who was selected by AAP as one its candidate for a Rajya Sabha seat, resigned from the Congress party after he was promised a seat in the upper house of Parliament supposedly by AAP.

Previously he had contested assembly elections in 2013 on a Congress ticket from Moti Nagar which he lost. He resigned from the Congress party on November 28, 2017. However, the AAP has stated Gupta's credentials as a social worker for this post.

"He is an educationist, agriculturalist and a social worker, with exemplary work in the field of Education and Healthcare. He has established and runs as a founder chairman, the following educational institutes providing education to more than 15,000 students. He runs five schools in Delhi and five each in Haryana and Punjab and five colleges of Engineering and Technology in Haryana," the party noted in its statement.

The Delhi BJP also slammed the Arvind Kejriwal led AAP for selecting these candidates. "AAP which was made from the ashes of Anna Andolan, on the promise of representing the common man, has nominated two khaas aadmis, Narayan Das Gupta and Sushil Gupta, to the Rajya Sabha. Far from 'aam aadmi' it is a party of 'khaas aadmi'," said the leader of opposition of Delhi assembly and BJP leader Vijender Gupta.

Former founder members of AAP have also criticised the party for the names. The former member of AAP, Yogendra Yadav too expressed his shock at the announcement and said that he is "speechless", "ashamed" and "numb" at AAP's decision. "I used to say, whatever his other faults are but Arvind Kejriwal cannot be bought. Defended him against Kapil Mishra's allegations. Now I don't know what to say.

Speechless, ashamed and numb," he said. Adding to his tone former AAP founder leader Prashant Bhushan said, "People who have not distinguished themselves in public service and have no expertise on anything to qualify for the Rajya Sabha."

However, the leader of AAP have not responded to any other allegations.