AAP MLAs offered ₹25cr each: Kejriwal alleges BJP trying to topple Delhi govt

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday alleged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is attempting to topple the Delhi government by trying to poach Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs. He claimed that the BJP contacted its MLAs and offered Rs.25 crore to each of them.

Kejriwal also claimed that the BJP told his MLAs that they were going to arrest him soon.

“We will arrest Kejriwal after a few days and then break the MLAs. Talks have been held with 21 MLAs, and we are talking to others as well. After that, we will topple the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi. You should also come. Will give Rs.25 crore and field you as BJP candidate in the election,” Kejriwal wrote on X on Saturday morning, according to the alleged conversation held between his MLAs and the BJP.

Although they claim that they have contacted 21 MLAs, as per our information, they contacted only seven AAP MLAs, and all of them declined the offer, Kejriwal said.

The AAP chief allegations appeared on X soon after the Delhi cabinet minister Atishi levelled similar allegations at a press conference held at AAP headquarters in New Delhi.

“The BJP leader told seven AAP MLAs that Arvind Kejriwal is going to be arrested….” Atishi said, adding that the BJP has launched Operation Lotus 2.0.

Asked on what basis the allegations were made, the Delhi minister said they have an audio recording of a BJP leader (unknown) talking to an AAP MLA informing him about the “likely arrest of Kejriwal and the MLAs’ poaching plans”, and the audio recording will be made public in a few days. In the recording, the BJP leader is heard saying that Kejriwal is going to be arrested and they will topple the AAP government after his arrest, Atishi claimed.

HT could not independently verify the claims of the AAP minister.

Meanwhile, rubbishing the claims, Delhi BJP secretary Harish Khurana said the allegations made by Kejriwal and his minster were baseless. “In 2022, Atishi made similar claims but the AAP did not share any evidence or name any BJP leader. The AAP often levels baseless allegations but has been unable to present evidence. At least they should name the MLAs who have been contacted. The ED (Enforcement Directorate) is working as per law, and Kejriwal does not have answers to ED questions thus the AAP is trying to divert attention from the issue,” Khurana said.

AAP has 62 MLAs in the 70-member Delhi assembly whereas the BJP has only eight.

The ED wants to question the Delhi chief minister in connection with an alleged money laundering probe linked to ongoing investigations into the excise policy case. Kejriwal has skipped four ED summons, calling them illegal and politically motivated.

Kejriwal further stated in his X post that the development makes it clear that he would not be arrested in connection with the alleged excise policy case but a “conspiracy is being hatched to topple the AAP government in Delhi”.

“I am not being arrested to be investigated for any liquor scam but they (BJP) are conspiring to topple the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi. In the last nine years, they hatched many conspiracies to topple our government but could not succeed. God and the people have always supported us. All our MLAs are also united strongly. This time also they will fail in their nefarious intentions,” the AAP chief stated.

He added, “They know how much work our government has done for the people of Delhi. Despite all the obstacles created by them, we have accomplished so much. The people of Delhi love “AAP” immensely. They are not capable of defeating AAP in the elections so they want to topple the government by arresting (me) on the pretext of a fake liquor scam.”

To be sure, this is not the first time that the AAP has claimed that Kejriwal is going to be arrested. On January 3, night a day before the ED expected Kejriwal to appear before it for questioning in connection with the excise case, AAP leaders claimed that the ED was going to make the arrest.

On multiple occasions since 2013 after the AAP won 28 assembly seats in Delhi, the party has alleged that the BJP has contacted AAP MLAs to poach them.

Atishi in the latest said the toppling of opposition governments was not new for the BJP.

“BJP is not doing Operation Lotus for the first time. The BJP uses the CBI [Central Bureau of Investigation], and ED and runs Operation Lotus to topple opposition governments in various states such as Maharashtra, Goa, and Madhya Pradesh. In Delhi, the BJP has attempted this twice. In 2013, the BJP tried to poach AAP MLAs, and in 2022 again, they offered Rs.20 crore each to AAP MLAs but could not succeed,” claimed Atishi.

Read more news like this on HindustanTimes.com