New Delhi, Jan 23 (IANS) AAP leader Kumar Vishwas's claim Friday that Kiran Bedi was soft on the BJP during Anna Hazare's anti-corruption agitation triggered a political slugfest, as both the Congress and the BJP took potshots at the AAP.
Congress leader Ajay Maken said the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement that fought for a Lokpal bill was "nothing but a well-planned conspiracy against Congress" and only the Congress governments were targeted.
He said Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal and Bharatiya Janata Party's chief ministerial candidate Kiren Bedi were "befooling people" and it was a "drama" which was unfolding with the passage of time.
Bedi refused to comment on the remarks by Vishwas, saying "it deserves no response" but the BJP said the Congress and the AAP were confused.
Kejriwal, Bedi and Maken are leading the campaign of their parties in the Delhi assembly polls scheduled to be held Feb 7.
Maken said the anti-corruption movement during the United Progressive Alliance government was a movement against his party.
"It was a conspiracy. It was not a movement against corruption but a movement against the Congress and people like Kejriwal and Bedi had hidden agendas... their own colleagues are saying this," Maken said.
Vishwas claimed during a TV debate that Bedi attempted to influence AAP leaders, including Kejriwal, so that the alleged graft by the BJP governments was not highlighted.
He said that during the anti-graft movement, there were people who were of the view that the BJP should not be attacked.
Vishwas said Bedi did not join the protest against BJP leader Nitin Gadkari.
Vishwas also took a dig at Gen. (retd) V.K. Singh, who is now a union minister, about his interactions with Hazare.
Maken alleged that the "so-called IAC" was being managed with the help of the BJP to present the Congress and the UPA government in "bad light".
"It was with the help of the BJP that they organised this movement. The Congress wants to ask if Kejriwal or Bedi would come forward and clarify (what is being said by Vishwas)," Maken said.
"It was a well-planned conspiracy against the Congress and the UPA government."
Maken also asked the AAP chief to clarify allegations by one of its founding members, Shanti Bhushan, concerning distribution of tickets.
He said Hazare was "unaware and was being misled".
Meanwhile, V.K. Singh rejected the allegations by Vishwas.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra also rejected the allegations by Vishwas and the Congress.
"Both the Congress and the AAP are confused as they cannot explain what they are saying," he said.
"If they (Congress) knew that the AAP was the RSS's prop-up, why did they go on supporting its government in Delhi?" Patra asked.
He also asked where the AAP lost its "evidence bag" against Shiela Dikshit.
Patra questioned Kejriwal's silence about his supposed knowledge of any pro-BJP proclivity of Bedi.
AAP leader Ashutosh said Kejriwal "never succumbed" to Bedi and rejected allegations of the Congress and the BJP.
There will be a press conference on Friday at 4.30 pm from the Election Commission. In this, the
India has always been an important factor in the politics of Pakistan. Delhi has always been a to
Announcement of captains of eight teams for IPL 2021, captains of these 2 teams have been changed
New Delhi IPL 2021 Captains list: The 14th season of the Indian Premier League i.e. IPL is starti
The Indian government has intensified the war against the growing coronavirus in the country. The
The economy of the country and the world is struggling with a crisis due to the second powerful w
Alia Bhatt celebrated her 30th birthday in London, and pictures of the celebrations surfaced
Alia Bhatt Birthday: Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt is celebrating her 30th birthday today. Fans an
Experimental testing of E-health database started
The country's ambitious national digital health system is going to be started and experimental tr
Goa: Not a single case since public drinking ban
Panaji, March 27 (IANS) In the last 11 months since drinking in public places was banned in Goa
Documents Leak: Former Journalist Sent to Custody
New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS) A court in Delhi Monday sent former journalist Santanu Saikia and thre
Amidst the crackdown on Amritpal and his associates in Punjab, patrolling on the India-Pakistan b
