India hasn't reached such a low to choose between Rahul, Modi: AAP

Mumbai: Launching his party's Lok Sabha campaign in Maharashtra, Aam Aadmi Party leader Yogendra Yadav on Wednesday lambasted Congress and BJP, saying that they were neck deep in corruption, and the general elections were an opportunity to change the way governments function and the politics is conducted.

Addressing a rally in Mumbai - which had an impressive turn-out - to sound the election bugle, Yadav said the country had not reached such a low point as to choose only between Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi. "The common man would run the Aam Aadmi's government," he said.

Saying that both the national parties were "neck-deep in corruption", he said: "When we talk of corruption by Congress, people say we know it...don't bore us. Where was Rahul when CWG, 2G, Adarsh, irrigation scams came to light?"

Yadav also said there were some myths about Modi, BJP's PM candidate. "He calls himself a common man....We want to know about the rise of Adani group in Gujarat. Government land has been given away to Adanis at throw-away prices. But when the Indian Air Force and a war widow seek land, they are quoted market price," he alleged.

Yadav also questioned the silence of both Modi and Rahul on the alleged scam in KG-Basin gas issue.

Social activist Medha Patkar, who would be the AAP candidate from Mumbai North-East constituency, wondered why there was poverty in Mumbai which is the country's financial capital. She also spoke about resorting to non-violent means to get the toll-levy on roads in the state scrapped.

Mayank Gandhi, who will contest from Mumbai North-West, said AAP will support slum dwellers evicted from homes without alternate housing. "Why small houses are given to them?" he asked, demanding 450 sq-ft tenements for slum-dwellers by way of rehabilitation.

Gandhi also questioned the need to involve builders in the Slum Rehabilitation Authority's projects, when MHADA, the state agency, was capable of building houses on its own. AAP's state convener, Anjali Damania, said the party faced a tough challenge of fighting the corrupt established parties in the state. "They are scared of AAP's growing popularity," she said.

Damania also said that NCP was AAP's biggest enemy in the state, followed by others. "NCP is the poster-boy of corruption," she said. Music composer Vishal Dadlani, of Vishal-Shekhar fame, too was present at the rally, among others.