The Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday passed a resolution condemning the BJP’s efforts to “poach” its MLAs.
The AAP’s PAC asked the BJP to tell the nation from where it has accumulated money to offer millions of rupees to MLAs of other parties.
AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal has convened a meeting of all AAP legislators at 11 am on Thursday to decide the party’s future strategy.
After the meeting, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said the PAC in its resolution also demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spend time on addressing problems of the people instead of making efforts to topple the Governments of other parties. The PAC meeting was convened by Kejriwal after the several MLAs claimed that the BJP has approached them to switch sides or else face “false cases, the CBI and the ED”.
“We want to assure the people that the AAP Government in Delhi is stable. None of our MLAs are going to join the BJP,” Singh told reporters.
Earlier, Kejriwal said some of his MLAs have approached him alleging that they have been threatened and offered bribes to break the party.
“Some MLAs told me that they have been threatened, offered bribes to break the party. This is a very serious matter,” he said.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has also warned the BJP after four AAP MLAs on Wednesday claimed that now they have been approached by the BJP with offers of Rs 20 crore each. “BJP, be careful. These are Arvind Kejriwal’s soldiers, followers of Bhagat Singh. They will sacrifice their lives, but will never betray. The CBI and the ED are of no use in front of them,” Sisodia tweeted hours after Somnath Bharti, Sanjeev Jha, Kuldeep Kumar, and Ajay Dutt-- four AAP MLAs-- claimed that they have been threatened that if they don’t join the BJP, the CBI and the ED action will be taken against them.
Earlier, addressing a Press conference, Singh alleged AAP MLAs in Delhi have received veiled threats from the BJP leaders that if they don’t take Rs 20 crore from the BJP and don’t quit the AAP, they will face the same fate as that of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia.
Singh alleged that the four AAP MLAs have been approached by the leaders of the BJP with whom they have “friendly relations”. “The same model which worked on Shinde in Maharashtra failed on Sisodia, but now the BJP is targeting our MLAs,” Singh said. In the press meet on Wednesday, four AAP MLAs were also present.
“They have been offered Rs 20 crore each if they join the BJP and Rs 25 crore if they bring other MLAs along with them,” Singh said. “Shame on you Modiji,” Singh said and asked the Prime Minister to “stop” making such efforts and focus on addressing issues like price rise and unemployment that the country is facing.
AAP MLA Bharti said he was approached by a friendly BJP leader whom he knows for a long time. “As I resisted him, he finally got fed up and said the BJP will finish the AAP Government at any cost,” Bharti said. Burari MLA Jha, at the press conference, said, he was also approached by a BJP leader with whom he shared a close connection. “I was offered Rs 25 crore if I manage to take some MLAs with me. I asked the BJP leader what will happen if I don’t oblige. The BJP leader cited the example of Sisodia,” the MLA said.