'Mahagathbandhan' in Delhi's interest, AAP should be a part of it, says Goel

New Delhi: Taking a contrasting stand from AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on his party’s participation in the ‘Mahagathbandhan’, Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel Thursday said such an alliance would be in the interest of the national capital and the party should be a part of it.

In August, Mr Kejriwal said in Haryana’s Rohtak that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would not be a part of any Opposition alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event to pay homage to Vithal Bhai Patel and Bhagat Singh on their birth anniversary, Mr Goel said, “It is not appropriate to speak on this topic. “Yet I understand it will be in the interest of Delhi and the country if the Mahagathbandhan comes about and the party(AAP) participates in it,” he said. The Speaker, however, categorically rejected the possibility of AAP’s alliance in Delhi.

“For Delhi, we will not do (alliance) with anyone,” he told PTI.

Mr Goel also expressed concern over mob lynching and said people need to be wary of forces of disintegration that were trying to break the country. “Currently, a different atmosphere is getting created that is leading the country to disintegration. People need to be wary of forces of disintegration that want to break the country,” he said.

Deputy Speaker Rakhi Bidlan and Cabinet ministers Gopal Rai and Rajender Pal Gautam were also present at the event.