'Picnic Organized Under Guise of Justice': AAP Leader Naresh Balyan's Veiled Jibe at Congress Yatra

New Delhi: As the political landscape in the country is witnessing dramatic shifts in the run up to the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Naresh Balyan on Friday took a veiled jibe at Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi's ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, as he wrote in a now-deleted post on ‘X’, that “Now, under the guise of a ‘Justice Journey’, a picnic is being organized at a time when the countdown to the [general] elections is underway”. 

Balyan, who was quick in retracting his social media post, had mentioned, “The first three months were marked by a refusal to hold meetings within the INDI Alliance, citing the ongoing elections in five states. However, as soon as the election results for the five states were announced, on that very day, the announcement of the formation of the INDI Coalition was made”.

“Following this, a brief meeting was held which concluded as soon as tea and coffee were served,” the Delhi MLA's now-deleted post stated.

'[Congress] Party Seems to Be Gearing up for the 3024 Elections'

In an indirect attack on the Congress, Balyan, who is also the Chairman at DDC South Delhi, further went on to say, “The party, proclaiming itself as a major political force, seems to be gearing up for the 3024 elections [instead]”.  

“Under the pretext of a storehouse of love, the Opposition is being systematically eliminated”, the Chairman of the Environment Committee in New Delhi, wrote on ‘X’, as he went on to question, “Who are the architects of this strategy?”

Balyan's remarks come amid a seemingly-widening rift within the INDI alliance over seat sharing for Lok Sabha polls even as the Congress is expressing confidence in the opposition unity with its leaders asserting that a "way forward" will be found as the Rahul Gandhi-led Yatra entered West Bengal from Assam yesterday – just a day after WB Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee announced the decision to go solo in the upcoming polls, with Bengal's ruling party blaming the Congress for the stalemate.

After conducting a roadshow in Cooch Behar, Rahul Gandhi departed for New Delhi as the Yatra took a scheduled two-day break, while it proceeded to Falakata in Alipurduar for a halt.

In Cooch Behar, TMC activists in the state protested just 500 metres away from the venue of the Yatra, which is set to navigate through Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Uttar Dinajpur, and Darjeeling districts of West Bengal before entering Bihar on January 29. 

Addressing reporters in Cooch Behar, Rahul Gandhi  stated, "The word 'Nyay' (justice) has been attached to the yatra because injustice is prevailing across the country. The INDI bloc will unitedly fight against injustice across the country." 

It is scheduled to re-enter West Bengal on January 31 via Malda, passing through Murshidabad –  both Congress stronghold districts – before leaving the state on February 1.

(With inputs from PTI)