If BJP retains power, Rahul Gandhi will be responsible: Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: In a fresh attack targetting the Congress party over the failure of alliance talks, chief minister of Delhi and AAP national convenor on Thursday said if the Bharatiya Janata Party retains power after the Lok Sabha elections, Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be responsible.

The Aam Aadmi Party had repeatedly urged the Congress to form an alliance in Delhi, which it said would have ensured that votes against the BJP are not divided. However, the talks between the two parties failed. He also said AAP would do everything to stop BJP President Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi from coming to power and would support any "secular mahagathbandhan" after the elections.

He also criticised Amit Shah for his remarks about removing "infiltrators" from neighbouring countries, except Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists. "This proves that the BJP plans to remove all other religions except these three religions," he said. He claimed that the country's unity was being challenged by the BJP. "We will do everything to stop the Shah-Modi duo," he said. "We will support any grand alliance government. The 2019 election is to save the nation, save the Constitution. We are Indians first, then Hindu or Muslim."

He said the AAP tries its best to forge an alliance but it seemed the Congress wasn't serious about it. Congress and AAP were in discussions for weeks but at the last minute, the talks failed over AAP's demand for an alliance outside Delhi.

"I want to ask Rahul Gandhi, which alliance is formed on Twitter?... They don't have intention (to forge an alliance). For the past two months, we have been trying for an alliance. I am saying this with huge sadness that if Modi and (BJP President Amit) Shah return to power, only one person will be responsible - Rahul Gandhi," he said.

The talks crashed over AAP's insistence that a seat-sharing pact be extended to Haryana and Punjab. AAP pointed out that it would not need Congress's help to win the seven seats in Delhi but a tie-up would help limit the BJP in Haryana and in Punjab.

Attempts for a pact between the AAP and the Congress started more than a month ago with a meeting at Maharashtra politician Sharad Pawar's home, where Mamata Banerjee also urged Arvind Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi to talk.