Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge hits out at Arvind Kejriwal, PM Modi for speaking 'hypocritical' language

New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Arvind Kejriwal, claiming that both the AAP chief and Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak the same “hypocritical” language.

In his remarks a day after Kejriwal was discharged by a court in the liquor scam case, Kharge also alleged that the AAP government in Punjab acts like the “B-Team” of the BJP, as it has never joined the struggles of farmers, labourers and youth.

Kharge’s comments came as the Congress on Friday described the court relief for Kejriwal as a “predictable script” from the BJP in favour of “convenient allies” ahead of Gujarat and Punjab elections.

Addressing party’s ‘Kisan Mahachaupal’ programme in Punjab’s Barnala, Kharge referred to Kejriwal’s emotional outburst after the court order and said, “crying and lamenting will not work. If you have to fight against injustice, fight like Rahul Gandhi-ji does.”

“He (Kejriwal) is crying and saying that my honour is gone, I am a very virtuous man. If you are a virtuous man, you don’t need to say it, the people of the country will speak for you,” he said.

Kharge went on to say without taking Kejriwal’s name, “like the AAP leader, Modi also used to talk like that. Modi used to say that he is poor, he is ‘chai-wala’ (tea-seller), that his mother brought him up. The same Modi wore suits worth Rs 10 lakh…These people are hypocrites, if you follow them, the country will be ruined,” he said.

Kharge also alleged Modi is working to enslave the people of the country and the “BJP's B team is following suit”.

He said Punjab is facing many challenges like drug menace and arms smuggling from across the border and this cannot happen without administrative collusion. “Before coming to power, AAP leaders raised these questions but now they are silent,” he said.

“The Punjab state government has failed to maintain law and order. Traders are receiving extortion threats and being murdered. A large number of encounters are taking place. Democratic rights are under attack. Freedom of speech is being curtailed. Attempts are being made to silence the press in Punjab,” he claimed.

“What the Modi government is doing in Delhi, its B-team is doing in Punjab. Wherever Congress fights strongly, AAP goes to states like Gujarat and Goa to help the BJP weaken Congress,” he added.