Cong, AAP responsible for crisis of credibility in Indian politics: Rajnath

NEW DELHI: Senior BJP leader and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday attacked opposition INDIA bloc partners Congress and AAP, alleging that they are responsible for the crisis of credibility in Indian politics.

Singh made the remarks while addressing an election meeting in favour of BJP's West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency candidate Kamaljeet Sehrawat, hours before campaigning for the May 25 round of polling ended.

Targeting Congress and AAP, which are contesting the general elections in the national capital under a seat-sharing arrangement, he said, "The leaders of the Congress and the AAP have contributed the most to the crisis of credibility in the politics of India."

While the AAP is contesting four seats, the Congress has fielded candidates from three seats. The seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Delhi go to polls in the sixth round of the seven-phase general elections.

Taking a swipe at Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on continuing on the post despite being arrested and jailed in connection with a Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case, Singh said, "I have heard about work from office and work from home. The chief minister here has done the miracle of work from jail."

Kejriwal was released from jail on interim bail on May 10 on the orders of the Supreme Court. He has to surrender on June 2.

Citing the alleged assault on AAP Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal, Singh said it was a "heart rending" incident but Kejriwal after maintaining silence for long is now saying that police are probing the matter.

"A person in whose presence a woman was beaten up in his house says probe is going on. Such people are cowards. A brave person is one who accepts that a mistake has been committed and is prepared to face the consequences," Singh said.

"Parties like the AAP should be wiped out from the country's politics. They have no moral right to remain in politics," the minister said.

Singh said under the Narendra Modi government, the country has jumped from the eleventh spot to become the fifth largest economy in the last eight years.

"Prominent financial firms are claiming that India is the fastest growing economy. With this speed, it will become the third largest economy of the world," he said.

Singh also asserted that he has full confidence that by 2070, India will become the "richest economy" of the world.

He also said that India aspired to be a super power in the world. "But we do not want to become a super power to attack any country or grab even one inch of its land. We wish this for the welfare of the world," the BJP leader said.

Singh asserted that the BJP practises what it says, citing the scrapping of Article 370, the ending of triple talaq and the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.