The Aam Aadmi Party today took on the Narendra Modi-led union government, accusing it of trying to topple the Delhi government “by hook or crook”. The BJP is using central investigation agencies against its leaders, the party claimed.
Five senior AAP leaders in a press conference today slammed the BJP for allegedly trying to lure AAP MLAs with cash and threats. The BJP has denied the charge and accused AAP of trying to “deviate and deflect” from questions around alleged corruption in the liquor policy for which Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was recently raided by the CBI.
AAP’s national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh claimed he would “expose” how the PM Modi-led government is using central agencies to bring down the government in the national capital.
“Efforts to break the MLAs of Delhi have begun,” he said, adding that the BJP tried a ‘Shinde’ on Manish Sisodia but the attempt failed. He claimed BJP members threaten AAP MLAs. “They say take our offer of ₹ 20 crore or face CBI cases like Sisodia,” he said.
Mr Singh said the legislators — Ajay Dutt, Sanjeev Jha, Somnath Bharati, and Kuldeep — have been approached by leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with whom they have “friendly relations”. “They have been offered ₹ 20 crore each if they join the party and ₹ 25 crore if they bring other MLAs along with them,” Mr Singh said.
The four other AAP MLAs who were present at the press conference narrated how they were allegedly approached by BJP leaders. “They said they know cases against Sisodia are fake, but the senior leaders have decided to bring down the AAP. BJP’s leaders have been given the duty of getting in AAP leaders,” Somnath Bharati said.
“A BJP leader told me that no matter what, we will bring down the Delhi government,” he added.Sanjay Singh said AAP MLAs and Mr Sisodia are turning “operation lotus” into “operation ‘bogus”. All the MLAs narrated similar stories of being offered ₹ 20-25 crore to switch sides and bring along fellow MLAs.
Challenging PM Modi, Sanjay Singh said, “You must have threatened and brought down governments in many states, but this is Delhi. People have chosen Kejriwal here thrice”. AAP’s political affairs committee is to meet today at 4 pm to discuss the ‘CBI/ED’ issue, the party’s national convenor Arvind Kejriwal said moments after the press conference.