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Was Giriraj Singh buying votes or gold? AAP claim that BJP bribed Delhi voters triggers row

Union minister Giriraj Singh has refuted AAP's allegations that he was 'bribing voters' in Delhi's Rithala constituency hours before polling.

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New Delhi: Union minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh’s visit to the Rithala area Friday, hours before voting for the Delhi assembly election began, triggered a controversy with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleging he was there to bribe voters. Singh, however, claimed he was in the area to buy a gold ring, with the leader also reportedly presenting a receipt to prove his claim.

Singh is the party’s in-charge for the Rithala constituency.

On microblogging site Twitter, Singh retweeted a journalist’s post that included a photo of a purported receipt for the ring.

“He had gone to purchase a ring and a receipt is also available. The fear of losing has led to AAP resorting to such cheap tricks,” said a BJP functionary who didn’t wish to be named.

Sources in the BJP also alleged that AAP’s Rithala MLA Mohinder Goyal, who is seeking re-election this year, attacked Singh while he was seated inside the shop.


Also read: Kejriwal, Gandhis & some Bollywood star power as Delhi votes, but turnout slow to pick up


AAP’s allegations

AAP leader Sanjay Singh had alleged Friday that BJP MPs, including Union minister Giriraj Singh, were “distributing cash and liquor” in Delhi to influence voters.

“We received one such report regarding Giriraj Singh from the public in Rithala Vidhan Sabha area. The people from the area told us that he was distributing money,” AAP leader Sanjay Singh said at a press conference.

The AAP leader even played a video of Giriraj at the shop.

“We had earlier said the BJP will resort to distributing cash and liquor to influence the voters. It is doing so now. Yesterday too, such reports had come in,” he said.

“The BJP violated the Model Code of Conduct during the entire campaigning period by giving inflammatory statements,” the AAP leader added. “Now with just a day left for polling, Union Minister Giriraj Singh and other BJP MPs are openly distributing cash and liquor.”

Sanjay Singh said his party had informed the Election Commission about the incident. It demanded strict action against the BJP and removal of all party MPs who are not residents of Delhi from the national capital with immediate effect.

Delhi elections

Voting for Delhi assembly elections is currently underway, with the BJP seeking a return to power in the national capital for the first time since 1998.

The Delhi elections were initially touted as a triangular contest between the BJP, AAP and Congress. However, the polls slowly turned into a two-way fight as the BJP powered its campaign with an aggressive attack on the Shaheen Bagh protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

The counting of votes will take place on 11 February.


Also read: Between Shaheen bagh and Hanuman Chalisa, the Delhi voter lost something


 

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1 COMMENT

  1. Can someone clarify
    Jewelry shop does not have a GST number
    Secondly can you purchase in cash rs41,000
    Third no name of purchaser with address

Comments are closed.

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