AAP committed to INDIA alliance, will not break away from it: Arvind Kejriwal
New Delhi(PTI): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said the Aam Aadmi Party is committed to the opposition INDIA alliance and will not break away from it.
His comments assume significance against the backdrop of the Congress' Punjab unit accusing the AAP government in the state of indulging in political vendetta following the arrest of Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira in connection with a 2015 drug trafficking case.
The AAP has, however, rejected the allegation saying the action against the Bholath legislator was taken according to the law.
At a press conference here on Friday, Kejriwal, who is the national convener of the AAP, was asked about the future of the INDIA alliance following the arrest of the Congress legislator in Punjab.
"The AAP is committed towards the INDIA alliance. We will not break away from the alliance. We are committed to fulfilling the dharma of the alliance," he said.
About the case, Kejriwal said, "I have heard about it but I don't have details. You will have to talk to the Punjab Police."
"The Bhagwant Mann government is committed to ending the drug menace in the state since it has destroyed the youth. Be it an influential person or a small-time person, no one will be spared. I am not commenting on any particular incident since the details are not with me," he said.
Asked about the opposition INDIA alliance not projecting a prime ministerial candidate yet, Kejriwal said, "We have to prepare a system so that the 140 crore people of India feel they are prime minister. We have to empower people and not one person," he said.
The Punjab Congress has already opposed any alliance with the ruling AAP in the state for the 2024 general elections.
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Catholic Bishops' body slams Bhagwat's remarks
New Delhi: The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India on Thursday slammed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his reported remark that Pranab Mukherjee, when he was President, had said tribals would turn "anti-national" if there is no "ghar wapsi"Catholic Bishops.'
In a statement issued here, CBCI, a body of Catholic Bishops, referred to reports which said Bhagwat, at an event on Monday, claimed that Mukherjee, while he was President had appreciated ghar wapsi and told him that had it not been for the Sangh's work on reconversion, a section of Adivasis would have turned "anti-national".The CBCI called the report "shocking".
"Fabricated personal conversation being attributed to a former president of India and its posthumous publication with the vested interest of an organization with questionable credibility raises a grave issue of national importance," the CBCI claimed.
"Is it not the violent ghar wapsi program of VHP and other similar organizations, curtailing the exercise of freedom of conscience of economically deprived tribals, the real anti-national activity?" it asked.
'Ghar wapsi' is a term used by the RSS and affiliated organisations to refer to reconversion of Muslims and Christians to Hinduism, based on the belief that they were originally Hindus before converting to other religions.
The CBCI also questioned why Bhagwat did not speak about it while Mukherjee was alive.
"We, the 2.3 percent of Indian citizens who are Christians feel extremely hurt by such manipulated and motivated propaganda unleashed," it said.
In a post on X following the statement issued by CBCI, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien said, "Speak up. This is a start!"
"Bishops body have issued a statement condemning remarks made by Dr Mohan Bhagwat and RSS for defaming the Christian community," he said.
O'Brien added that they should ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi more questions, including why Christmas Day has been turned into "Good Governance Day".
The TMC leader, in a blogpost earlier this month, had said "hard questions" must be asked to the government with regards to the Christian community, including why the FCRA has been 'weaponised', and why has Manipur been 'ignored'.
