Congress sharpens attack on Kejriwal with old video of his 'remarks on reservation'

New Delhi: Stepping up its attack on former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Congress on Tuesday referred to an old video in which the AAP convenor is purportedly talking about reservation and said it has now understood why he remains mum on caste census and removing the 50 per cent cap on quota.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared an old undated video of Kejriwal in which he is purportedly heard telling the audience that if someone benefits from reservation then that family should not get reservation again and another family be benefited from it.

"We also believe that if a family, from these sections of the society...if someone is economically well-off then that person should not get reservation someone else should get reservation," Kejriwal purportedly says in the video.

There was no immediate reaction from AAP and the veracity of the video could not be independently ascertained.

"Kejriwal's views must be heard on the issue reservation. Now it is understood --Why he remains silent on the removal of 50% cap on reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs in government employment and government educational institutions, and on caste census," Ramesh said in a post in Hindi on X.

Ramesh's remarks come a day after former Congress president Rahul Gandhi launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kejriwal, saying there is no difference between the two leaders and they do not want backwards, Dalits, tribals and minorities to get their due share.

Specifically targeting Kejriwal at his first public meeting for Delhi assembly polls, Gandhi said the AAP convenor was following "Modi's strategy of propaganda and false promises" despite rising pollution, corruption and inflation in the national capital.

He also promised a caste survey in Delhi if the Congress formed the government in the national capital.

Gandhi hailed the work done under three successive Sheila Dikshit-led governments and asserted that neither Kejriwal nor the BJP can match the Congress' track record.

The former Congress chief had urged Kejriwal to make his stand clear on the issue of caste census and the demand for the removal of the 50 per cent cap on reservation.

Taking to X, Kejriwal had said Rahul Gandhi "abused" him a lot but he will not comment on the Congress leader's statements. "His fight is to save Congress, my fight is to save the country," the AAP chief said.

The Congress and AAP are part of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc. The two parties had fought the Lok Sabha election together in Delhi, but are contesting the assembly polls separately.