AAP alleges Youth Congress of ransacking office

Warns ‘action could lead to reaction’

New Delhi: The AAP on Monday alleged its office in central Delhi's DDU Marg had been ransacked by Youth Congress workers during a protest and warned that such "action could lead to a reaction".

The party filed a complaint at IP Estate Police Station here, saying it was the second time such an incident had taken place in the last two months. 

The complaint demanded action against Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken and chief spokesperson Sharmistha Mukherjee. 

Calling the AAP's charges "idiotic and absolutely baseless," Mukherjee said her party's protest march was held peacefully. 

"AAP is desperately trying to grab attention and shift focus from what they did in the Delhi Assembly recently by passing an anti-Sikh riot resolution in which they sought to defame late Rajiv Gandhi," she said.

Convener of AAP's Delhi unit Gopal Rai alleged that Delhi Police acted as a "mute spectator" during the alleged ransacking on Sunday. "It is a very heinous act. 

Such action could lead to a reaction. We will file an FIR against the ransacking of our office by Youth Congress," Rai said at a press conference. 

Delhi unit of the Youth Congress on Sunday evening staged a protest outside the AAP office against a resolution in the Vidhan Sabha on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots which purportedly demanded withdrawal of Bharat Ratna given to the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. Maken had also taken part in it. 

When asked if this will have a negative impact on prospects of a possible alliance between the AAP and the Congress for the Lok Sabha elections, Rai said, "Where is the alliance?" He said the AAP was capable of challenging the BJP single-handedly in Delhi in 2019's Lok Sabha elections. 

"There is anger against BJP all across the country. In Delhi, we are capable of discharging this responsibility (of defeating BJP). We have started preparations for all seven seats." 

On the resolution in the Delhi Assembly, Rai said the demand for withdrawal of Bharat Ratna given to Gandhi was an "individual idea" of a member in the House. 

"It was an amendment that was not voted prior to passage of the entire resolution in the House. Speaker of the House has already clarified it," he said. He, however, said the Congress was "guilty" of anti-Sikh riots in 1984.