The BJP on Wednesday accused Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of attempting to “play caste politics and spread religious frenzy”.
At a press conference here, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari alleged that Mr. Kejriwal was “always ready to stoop” in his politics to capture votes citing two consecutive developments to buttress his accusation.
These included a tweet from former senior AAP leader Ashutosh stating that his surname was mentioned despite his “protest” while being introduced as the AAP’s Chandni Chowk contestant for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and the AAP’s probable east Delhi 2019 Lok Sabha candidate Atishi being asked to drop her second name ‘Marlena’.
The Hindu was on Tuesday the first to report the development regarding Ms. Atishi’s given name being dropped from her Twitter account, official AAP statements, posters and other publicity materials carrying her photo.
“It is regrettable that the people who had entered politics in the name of changing politics are trying to play caste politics and spread religious frenzy...Yesterday...Ms. Atishi dropped her caste name being used till now and another founder leader Ashutosh said he was compelled to make public his caste before the last Lok Sabha elections in 2014,” Mr. Tiwari alleged.
“It is being said that Ms. Atishi’s surname suggests from a minority community and Mr. Kejriwal’s party feels that her surname may be politically damaging and hence, she was compelled to drop her caste surname being used till now,” he further said.
The Delhi BJP chief sought to “warn Mr. Kejriwal” against “vitiating the social, religious and political atmosphere of the Capital”.
