New Delhi: Amid high drama on the eve of the Delhi Assembly poll results, a team of the Anti-Corruption Bureau was on Friday turned back from the gate of Arvind Kejriwal’s home on Ferozeshah Road in central Delhi where it had gone to record his statement over his allegation of an attempt by the BJP to poach AAP candidates.
While Kejriwal’s lawyers objected to the ACB team’s visit without giving any notice, sleuths of the anti-corruption body said they did not need any notice or authorisation to visit as Kejriwal himself is a complainant in the matter.
The ACB team sprang into action following Lieutenant Governor (LG) V.K. Saxena’s direction to investigate allegations of bribes being offered to 16 candidates to quit the AAP and join the BJP.
The Delhi LG’s order stated: “It has been widely reported that the AAP has alleged that the BJP is offering bribes to its MLAs to quit the party. A representation was received from Delhi BJP stating that these allegations are false and baseless. The Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor has desired that this matter merits a thorough investigation through the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to establish the truth.”
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said, “Sanjay Singh, Arvind Kejriwal if you lie, be ready to face the consequences. I said this in the morning, and I am saying it again. It won’t work that you say anything baseless and don’t face the repercussions.”
He said, “The allegations you have made are cheap and baseless. If you have facts, present them; otherwise, be prepared for the consequences. The kind of low-level politics you practise is not accepted by the people of Delhi. Before every election — be it municipal or Lok Sabha — your propaganda begins, but the people of Delhi do not appreciate it…”
NDMC Vice chairman and BJP leader Kuljeet Singh Chahal hit out at poaching allegations and wrote on social media, “…Arvind Kejriwal and AAP leaders are getting themselves exposed by telling lies after lies…”
Earlier on Thursday, in a post on X, Kejriwal expressed his disapproval of the exit polls and shed light on why he believes these surveys are being manipulated.
He wrote: “Some agencies are showing that the ‘Gali Galoj Party’ is winning more than 55 seats. In the last two hours, 16 of our candidates have got calls saying, ‘Leave your party and join theirs, we’ll make you ministers and give each of you Rs 15-15 crores.’ If their party is indeed winning more than 55 seats, then why do they need to call our candidates?”
AAP MP Sanjay Singh accused the BJP of executing an “Operation Lotus” in Delhi, claiming that the party was offering bribes to AAP leaders in an attempt to destabilise the party and ensure their path to forming the government in the national capital.
The storm over alleged poaching of AAP candidates comes a day before the declaration of results for the Assembly election to pick a new 70-member House. Most exit polls have given an edge to the BJP in the poll but the AAP has insisted that it will form the government.
(IANS)
