New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Saturday lashed out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its national convener Arvind Kejriwal, calling the latter “scared and anxious”.
The reaction followed after two FIRs were lodged in Punjab against Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak, who last week switched loyalties to the BJP along with six other AAP MPs.
Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra said: “Arvind Kejriwal is scared and anxious. Seven of his MPs have left, and there is no guarantee who will stay or leave. His corruption, authoritarian style, and lies have led to dissatisfaction even among his close associates.”
He reminded that the MPs who left AAP were Kejriwal’s trusted allies and not outsiders.
“Kejriwal’s stronghold is weakening, and the people of Punjab are also unhappy with him. Neither Sandeep Pathak, nor anyone else is going to be afraid of all this,” the Delhi Minister told reporters.
Expressing concern over Punjab’s law and order, Mishra said: “Instead of engaging Punjab Police to solve criminal cases, they are being used for political purposes against former allies.”
“The people of Punjab are watching everything. What happened in Delhi may also happen in Punjab with the Aam Aadmi Party,” he added.
BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh accused the AAP of taking “revenge” on its former leader Sandeep Pathak.
“The one who was running your government till the last few days and left due to ideological differences, has now suddenly become a criminal. This is vendetta politics. The people of Punjab will give a strong reply to this,” he said.
Chugh claimed that former AAP leaders, namely Prashant Bhushan, Shazia Ilmi, Kumar Vishwas, Raghav Chadda and others, who were part of Anna Hazare’s movement, left the party after seeing “Kejriwal’s real face”.
“Today only those people are left in the party (AAP) for whom power is a source of loot and corruption,” he said.
Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar cautioned that next he could be the one under scanner.
Criticising the AAP, Jakhar said: “Neither Sandeep Pathak, nor Sunil Jakhar or any BJP worker is afraid. I want to tell Arvind Kejriwal that people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones at others.”
“In Punjab, their (AAP) real face is being exposed. Earlier MP Rajinder Gupta was raided, and now Sandeep Pathak is being targeted. AAP’s countdown (towards losing power) has started in the state,” he added.
(IANS)
