On the eve of the counting of votes for the Delhi Assembly polls, the Delhi Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) on Friday served a legal notice to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal, seeking details and evidence regarding his allegations that the BJP attempted to bribe his party candidates ahead of the Delhi Assembly election results. The notice, delivered at Kejriwal’s residence, has intensified the political tensions between the AAP and the BJP, with the former calling it a politically motivated move.
Earlier, high drama unfolded outside Arvind Kejriwal’s residence at 5 Feroz Shah Road on Friday after an Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) team was denied entry while attempting to question the AAP chief over bribery charges he levelled against the BJP. However, the situation turned tense as AAP leaders refused to let the officials meet with the politician, accusing them of acting under BJP’s influence.
This is an indication that Kejriwal and his party is on shaky ground. The incident occurred a day before the vote counting in Delhi, following Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena’s directive for the ACB to investigate AAP’s ‘Operation Lotus’ accusation against the BJP. The Lt Governor’s order was based on a formal complaint by Delhi BJP Secretary Vishnu Mittal, who described the allegations as serious and requiring immediate investigation.
Days after exit polls predicted a BJP win in the Delhi election, Arvind Kejriwal today claimed that 16 AAP candidates were offered ministerial positions and `15 crore each if they switched sides. “Some agencies are showing that the abusive party (BJP) is getting more than 55 seats. In the last two hours, 16 of our candidates have received calls that if they leave the AAP and join their party, they will be made ministers and given Rs 15 crore each,” the AAP supremo wrote on X. Similar allegations were made by AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and AAP’s Sultanpur Majra candidate and Delhi minister Mukesh Ahlawat.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh backed these allegations and filed a complaint with the ACB, stating that more than 16 AAP candidates had been approached by unidentified individuals attempting to lure them away from the party. “I am a member of the PAC (Political Affairs Committee) of the Aam Aadmi Party and also the party’s leader in Parliament. On February 6, around 2.30 pm when I was present in Parliament, I personally received information from my colleagues that the current MLAs and party candidates are being contacted by the leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party and are being asked to join the BJP by offering bribes worth crores of rupees and ministerial posts,” Singh said in his complaint. Singh further asked for appropriate action on his complaint.
The ACB’s notice specifically refers to a post on X by Kejriwal accusing the BJP of offering bribes to 16 AAP candidates to switch sides. The notice asks Kejriwal to confirm whether the tweet was made by him and provide detailed information on the alleged poaching attempts.
It also seeks the names of the 16 candidates who received phone calls, the phone numbers of those who contacted them and any supporting evidence to substantiate these claims.
“Provide the evidence and proof to support the claim/allegations of the offer of a bribe levelled by you and your party members on various media/social media platforms,” the ACB notice reads. The notice also warns of potential legal action, asking Kejriwal to explain why those spreading such allegations should not be prosecuted for creating “panic and unrest” among the people of Delhi.
“Explain as to why an appropriate legal action should not be taken against the persons spreading such information on media/social media platforms, which is tantamount to creating panic and unrest situations amongst the people of Delhi,” the notice reads.
The controversy centres around AAP MP Sanjay Singh’s assertion that the BJP offered Rs 15 crore each to seven AAP candidates to defect. Singh claimed, without disclosing names, that the candidates received phone calls from the BJP the day after the elections for the 70-member Assembly on Wednesday. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal also alleged on Twitter that the BJP offered Rs 15 crore to 16 candidates in exchange for ministerial positions. Echoing Kejriwal’s claims, AAP candidate from Sultanpur Majra and Delhi Minister Mukesh Ahlawat, as well as AAP’s sitting MLA and candidate from Dwarka, Vinay Mishra, claimed that they were approached with such offers.
Meanwhile AAP’s legal cell chief Sanjeev Nasiar said the ACB does not have either a warrant or mandate for investigation. They are just sitting outside Kejriwal’s house and are unclear about their purpose, he added. “We have not allowed them to enter Kejriwal’s house and meet him. When we asked why they were here, they said they were sent to receive a complaint from Kejriwal. “But (AAP Rajya Sabha MP) Sanjay Singh has already reached their office to file a complaint. They are just taking orders from someone else over the phone. It’s just a political stunt of the BJP,” Nasiar said.
“Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been making allegations that the BJP is offering bribes to its MLAs to quit the party and join the BJP. The lieutenant governor has directed that this matter merits a thorough investigation through the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to establish the truth,” the LG office said in a letter to the chief secretary.
In a letter to Lt Governor, Delhi BJP leader Mittal criticised the AAP leaders for not providing evidence to support their claims and accused them of spreading false information to create panic and unrest in Delhi. “The allegations levelled by Arvind Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh are very serious and call for an immediate investigation, as they have not furnished any proof or evidence to substantiate their claims - such as details of phone calls or the individuals involved,” Mittal said in his letter to the LG. “I request you to direct the Anti-Corruption Bureau or any other investigating agency to register an FIR and conduct a detailed probe regarding the alleged offer of Rs 15 crore to seven sitting AAP MLAs,” he added.