Congress remained non-committal over the ordinance brought by the Centre for control of services despite repeated requests by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during the mega opposition meet in Patna on Friday, AAP sources claimed.
“The way you (Kejriwal) are eagerly approaching us time and again shows there is some mischief,” Rahul Gandhi reportedly said on Friday, claimed AAP sources.
Sources said Kejriwal was the second person to speak during the opposition party meet.
In the closed-door meeting, Kejriwal requested to have a cup of tea with the Congress leaders, AAP sources said.
“Let us have tea together. Let us sit for a tea-meeting to clear misunderstandings,” Kejriwal reportedly requested Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. However, his request was turned down, AAP sources said.
The sources said that it was Kharge who spoke before Rahul Gandhi and showed the statements of AAP leaders to Kejriwal, which alleged that Congress was working hand in glove with the BJP. Kejriwal responded by saying that some Congress leaders like Sandeep Dikshit and Ajay Maken also make statements against AAP.
Let us not compare the statements, otherwise the meeting will not be fruitful, Kejriwal said.
“Our differences should be set aside. Give us a chance, let us sit together; we will sort things out within half-an-hour,” Kejriwal told Congress leaders, AAP spurces said.
Rahul Gandhi then told Kejriwal that Congress has a process, saying “be it a meeting or an ordinance, we will follow the process to decide the future course of action”, AAP sources claimed.
The sources also said that during the meeting, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also suggested arranging a meeting between AAP and Congress. Others also supported her, but the Congress didn’t allocate any time for the meeting with AAP, the sources said.
“When nothing fruitful came out, other prominent leaders present requested Congress leaders to have lunch together with Kejriwal. Everyone was supposed to have lunch together, but Rahul Gandhi did not agree,” AAP sources claimed.
The sources also said that during the meeting, Rahul Gandhi said that they were against anything that is against the Constitution, but despite requests, the Congress did not make its stance clear on the ordinance.
“We are only saying that forget the past and join us. We are not attacking the Congress now; we are only attacking the BJP,” an AAP leader said.
Kejriwal later said that Congress should make its stance clear regarding the constitutional structure and make it public, the sources said.
