New Delhi: A team of the Delhi Police’s crime branch Friday evening visited the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to “serve a notice” in connection with his allegations that the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) offered bribes to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs in an attempt to poach them.
According to sources in the Delhi Police, the team returned without serving the notice as Kejriwal wasn’t present. The team will visit again Saturday to hand him the notice “in person”, they added.
Sources added that Kejriwal left after the police team arrived. “The chief minister declined to comment and left home while the team was there,” a second source said.
“We went to serve him a notice to provide evidence against the allegations that the BJP is trying to buy MLAs from AAP,” the source said.
Sources added that an office bearer of the BJP has alleged that the AAP accused them of buying their MLAs and the “black sheep” must be identified.
“The BJP office bearer has given a complaint stating that the allegations against them by the AAP must be substantiated, and if there is a person within the BJP who is trying to buy the MLAs, then he must be booked,” another source said.
“The complaint says that these allegations must be inquired into,” the source added.
No FIR has been lodged so far in the matter.
Kejriwal also skipped his appearance before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) Friday in the excise policy case. The ED is investigating the alleged misappropriation of funds in the scrapped liquor scam case. This was the fifth summons by the agency to Kejriwal.
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A slugfest
Last Saturday, Kejriwal accused the BJP of trying to “buy” seven AAP MLAs by offering them Rs 25 crore each.
“Recently, they (BJP) contacted our 7 MLAs in Delhi and said ‘we will arrest Kejriwal after a few days. After that, we will break the MLAs. Talks have been held with 21 MLAs. Talking to others also. After that, we will topple the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi. you can also come. Will give Rs 25 crore and contest the elections on BJP ticket’,” Kejriwal said on the social media platform X.
पिछले दिनों इन्होंने हमारे दिल्ली के 7 MLAs को संपर्क कर कहा है – “कुछ दिन बाद केजरीवाल को गिरफ़्तार कर लेंगे। उसके बाद MLAs को तोड़ेंगे। 21 MLAs से बात हो गयी है। औरों से भी बात कर रहे हैं। उसके बाद दिल्ली में आम आदमी पार्टी की सरकार गिरा देंगे। आप भी आ जाओ। 25 करोड़ रुपये देंगे…
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 27, 2024
The BJP, however, responded by saying that the allegations were “baseless” and asked the AAP to name the MLAs who were given the “offer”.
“Although they claimed that 21 MLAs have been approached, but as per our information, they have contacted only seven MLAs so far and all of them have refused (to join the BJP),” the Delhi CM said.
“I am not being arrested to investigate any liquor scam but they are conspiring to topple the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi”,” he added.
Meanwhile, AAP cabinet minister Atishi, at a press conference, said that the BJP has launched “Operation Lotus 2.0” adding, “They (BJP) had made similar attempts to poach AAP MLAs last year by offering them money but failed.”
(Edited by Richa Mishra)