AAP can stoop to any level, claims Manoj Tiwari

New Delhi: The Delhi BJP on Wednesday accused the Aam Aadmi Party of trying to play caste politics after its senior leader Atishi Marlena, the party’s one of the probable Lok Sabha candidates, dropped her last name.

Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari alleged that AAP feels that Atishi’s caste surname might be politically damaging, and hence, she was compelled to drop it.

“Aam Aadmi Party is always ready to stoop down to any low level of politics for political game, be it the politics of casteism or provoking religious feelings,” said Mr Tiwari.

Condemning the move, Mr Tiwari said, “Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal should desist from vitiating the social, religious and political atmosphere of the capital. Otherwise, he (Mr Kejriwal) will have to pay heavy price in the next elections.”

“Yesterday, Delhi and the country saw that a woman leader of AAP Ms Atishi dropped her surname being used till now and another former leader Ashutosh told how he was compelled to make public his caste before the last Lok Sabha Elections in 2014,” said Mr Tiwari.

The Delhi BJP president further alleged that AAP has been playing the politics of sometimes provoking the religious feelings of Sikhs, Muslims and sometimes Christians be it the case of sacrilege in the Churches, sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib in Punjab or the appeal of Muslim polarisation in Bawana bye-election. “The role of Aam Aadmi Party leaders have been exposed in all these cases but the latest instance of dirty caste politics is condemnable,” Mr Tiwari added.

Mr Tiwari further said that it was regrettable that the people who had entered politics in the name of changing politics are trying to play caste politics and spread religious frenzy.

As part of the change, Ms Atishi’s twitter handle is now “@AtishiAAP”, instead of the earlier @Atishi-marlena. The AAP leader’s profile in the party’s official website has also been changed. Campaign leaflets, posters also carried her first name only.