'Complaint Box' AAP is crumbling under its own weight: BJP

Mumbai/Bengaluru (Maharashtra/Karnataka) [India], May 1 (ANI): Taking a jibe over the infighting within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said after a series of defeats in elections, the Arvind Kejriwal-led party is crumbling under its own weight. Speaking to ANI, BJP leader S. Prakash said after the debacle in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) polls, the AAP is undergoing a big turmoil internally. "Many decent voices are emanating from various leaders in the party. A party which projected itself practicing a new political culture succumbed to the traditional politics, accusing politics and it became a complaint box rather than setting new standards and politics. Today, after a series of defeats, it is crumbling under its own weight," he added. Resonating similar views, another BJP leader Shaina NC said the AAP is a party of drama and theatrics, adding that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has not just deceived the people of Delhi, but also his own workers by not living up to the promises that he wanted to make. "It is not for us to comment on Mr. Kejriwal or his colleagues, but it is clearly for us to say that the people of Delhi have been let down for a mandate which they gave for good governance which has translated only into fighting and absolute double-speak and hypocrisy," she added. Kejriwal yesterday claimed that some people are trying to create a rift between him and senior party leader Kumar Vishwas. "Kumar Vishwas is my younger brother. Some people are trying to showcase a rift between us, such people are the enemy of the party. Nobody can separate us," Kejriwal said in a tweet. Earlier, another party MLA Amanatullah Khan alleged that Vishwas was conspiring to break the party and had asked some legislators to join the BJP with an offer of Rs. 30 crore each. This prompted Kejriwal to say that attempts were being made to create a rift between him and Vishwas. Khan circulated a WhatsApp message saying Vishwas had called some AAP MLAs to his home with the monetary offer at the behest of the BJP. Following the mass exodus and reports of in-fighting within the party, Kejriwal earlier on April 29 struck a note by admitting that the party made some crucial mistakes which led to their heavy defeat in the Delhi's civic polls. Accepting his mistakes, Kejriwal asserted that it's time to get back to work. In yet another blow to Kejriwal, Vishwas raised doubts about the former's ability to win elections and said the party should do soul-searching for the repeated defeats. He suggested that the party should consider taking drastic steps, including leadership change, if it wants to remain viable in the political arena. The AAP leader questioned Kejriwal's defense for losing Punjab elections, Rajouri by-poll, as well as the MCD elections. He said that Kejriwal's stand on the surgical strikes was wrong adding that the party needs 'radical reforms'. In the recent past, other AAP leaders like Alka Lamba and Kapil Mishra have also been critical of the party's views on the poll debacles. (ANI)