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Launching a blistering attack on Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the former chief minister came talking about bringing in clean politics but the biggest 'liquor scam' took place in Delhi under his watch, while he got engrossed in 'sheesh mahal politics'.
Gandhi trained his guns on Kejriwal at his two poll meetings in Patparganj and the Muslim-dominated Okhla, and alluded to the 2020 Delhi riots, saying he was nowhere to be seen when violence and hatred engulfed Delhi.
He took a swipe at former deputy chief minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia too, calling him the 'architect of the liquor scam' along with Kejriwal.
In Okhla, Gandhi claimed that Kejriwal was 'afraid' of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"A battle of ideology is going on. On one hand there is Modi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and on the other hand, there is the Congress. The other parties are not based on ideology. There are only two ideological parties -- the BJP-RSS and the Congress," he said in an apparent dig at the AAP in the Muslim-dominated constituency.
"The more hatred the BJP spreads and the more markets of hate it opens, the more shops to spread love, we will open," he asserted.
"The other parties, I don't know whether they are afraid of Modi or not, but Kejriwal is afraid of him. He had come and said he will do new kind of politics, clean politics but the biggest liquor scam took place under the AAP government," Gandhi said.
The Congress leader cited issues such as pollution, lack of clean drinking water and inflation in Delhi and said this is 'sheesh mahal' politics.
"He (Kejriwal) does 'sheesh mahal wali rajneeti'. When minorities needed him and hatred was spreading in Delhi, he was not standing with you. The Congress and I did. We don't want an India filled with hatred. We do not want an India of fear. The poor, minorities, Dalits, backwards and Adivasis need not be afraid of anyone," Gandhi said.
Attacking Kejriwal, Gandhi further said the AAP leader keeps giving himself certificates of honesty.
"Who is in need of giving certificate to himself? Only a dishonest person does so. An honest person does not give himself a certificate. People give the honest person a certificate. He should ask the people and not keep giving himself certification," Gandhi said.
"We will open the shop in front of Modi's face to spread love. We do not fear Modi. You saw he used to make huge speeches, talk about 56-inch chest but after polls he has forgotten all that... have you seen his face," he said to cheers from the largely Muslim crowd in Okhla from where the Congress' Ariba Khan is locked in a triangular contest with AAP's Amanatullah Khan and BJP's Manish Chaudhary.
Gandhi alleged that Okhla was an industrial centre but Modi and Kejriwal destroyed it.
He also claimed that leaders like Modi and Kejriwal have closed the door on the poor and blocked opportunities for them.
Earlier, at his rally in Patparganj, Gandhi said Kejriwal started off with a promise of bringing in a new kind of politics but lived in a "sheesh mahal".
He urged people to vote for the Congress' candidate Anil Chaudhary as Sisodia had 'run away' from the Patparganj constituency after indulging in corruption.
The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha also launched a stinging attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying they talked about '400 paar' with the intention of changing the Constitution.
"A few days ago, (RSS chief) Mohan Bhagwat stated that India did not get true independence on August 15, 1947, and it was achieved when Modi ji came. This means he insulted the Constitution and (BR) Ambedkar ji. If independence wasn't achieved on 15th August 1947 then what is the meaning of this," he said with a copy of the Constitution in his hand.
"The fruit of freedom is our Constitution and BJP leaders say that we got freedom when Modi ji came and Ram temple was inaugurated. At the Ram temple inauguration, not one poor person was seen. Our tribal President was not allowed there. When Parliament was inaugurated, there also she was not called," he said.
He claimed that the RSS-BJP make brothers, people of different castes and religions fight against each other.
"Then there is (former Delhi CM Arvind) Kejriwal, who had a small car when he came and declared that he will indulge in a new kind of politics. He had climbed an electric poll and promised to transform Delhi," the former Congress chief said.
"But when the poor people needed him, he was no where to be found, when there was violence in Delhi, he was nowhere to be seen. He (Kejriwal) talked about clean politics and the biggest liquor scam took place in Delhi and you saw his home...I was thrown out of my house by Modi ji, I handed them the keys and said you can keep it. Kejriwal ji lives in sheesh mahal," Gandhi said.
The BJP has often used the 'sheesh mahal' jibe to attack Kejriwal with allegations of corruption in the renovation of the chief minister's residence when he was the CM.
The Congress and the AAP are part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). The two parties had fought the Lok Sabha election together in Delhi, but are contesting the assembly polls separately.
Gandhi also questioned Modi's silence on the Congress' demand of the caste census and reiterated his party will ensure a nationwide caste census wherever it comes to power.
Gandhi also reiterated the Congress would 'throw out' the 50 per cent cap on reservation.