As tensions continue to mount between the ruling AAP Government and the BJP, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said since the raid at Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s house, the AAP’s vote share in Gujarat has increased by four per cent.
“The day he is arrested, I think our vote share will increase by six per cent more. And if Sisodia is arrested twice, then probably we will be able to form the Government there,” Kejriwal said while replying to the confidence motion in the Delhi Assembly.
He, however, did not elaborate how the vote shares of the AAP increased in Gujarat.
Replying to the Motion, Kejriwal said he sought the trust vote to prove that the BJP’s “Operation Lotus” targeting AAP MLAs had failed.
He further listed out two demands: The BJP should stop buying MLAs as they have turned politics into a mandi, and stop waiving loans given to their friends.
The confidence motion was passed by a voice vote in the Assembly. There were 58 votes in support of the motion and no vote against the motion. The BJP MLAs did not take part in the proceedings.
The confidence motion was tabled by Kejriwal on August 29.
Meanwhile, for the fourth time in around one and a half months, the weekly meeting between the Chief Minister and the Lieutenant Governor, scheduled to be held on Friday, was cancelled.
Calling Sisodia “fakkad-kangal” (pauper), Kejriwal said though the probe agency was “under pressure to arrest Sisodia”, it could not find anything substantial against him even after searching his official house and bank locker in his village.
“The CBI officials also understood that there is no case. But they are under pressure. They told us that they will have to arrest Sisodia once. Sisodia told them that he will go to the CBI when they want to arrest him,” Kejriwal said.
“So it is certain that Sisodia will be arrested. But the entire country is watching us get certificates from PM Modi again and again. Because an arrest is part of politics. That will go on,” Kejriwal said, adding there have been 169 cases against 49 of its MLAs, including 16 against himself.
Trying to project the AAP as an alternative to the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Kejriwal said there are only two parties at the national level at present - “kattar imaandar (hardcore honest) party and kattar be-imaan (hardcore corrupt) party”.
“The kattar be-imaan party believes in ‘dostwaad’ (friends), while the kattar imaandar party cares for this nation and believes in ‘Bharatwaad’. The kattar imaandar party wants to make India number one while the kattar be-imaan party wants to make its friends number one,” he stressed. All the Ministers, MLAs and workers are honest in the kattar imanadar party. And there is news of corruption on a daily basis in the kattar be-imaan party.
“Today, only two parties are present at the national level. One party is kattar imandar, (hardcore honest) the other party is kattar be-imaan. All the Ministers, MLAs and workers are honest in the kattar imanadar party. And there is news of corruption on a daily basis in the kattar be-imaan party.
Claiming that the country needed his party in power, Kejriwal said, “The ‘hardcore corrupt’ party lacks educated people, while the ‘hardcore honest’ party has those with good education, genuine IIT degrees.”
“The ‘hardcore corrupt’ party spends money to buy MLAs. The ‘hardcore honest’ party spends money on construction of schools and hospitals,” he added.
“Absolutely corrupt party lacks educated people while ‘hardcore honest’ party has those with good education, genuine IIT degrees,” he said adding that “they are spending Rs 20-50 crore to buy MLAs. Am I doing anything wrong if I want to build schools and hospitals.”
“While one party wants to make the world’s richest person its best friend, the other wants to make India number one,” he said, comparing the BJP with his party.
BJP’s Vijender Gupta, Abhay Verma and Mohan Singh Bisht were marshalled out following an argument with Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla, who did not heed their demand to take up their calling attention notices before a discussion on the confidence motion. The remaining five walked out in protest. Birla later adjourned the House sine die.
After a series of protests against the alleged Operation Lotus being run by the BJP’ in the country, AAP has now sought time with the President of India Droupadi Murmu to discuss the issue.
“I have sought time with the custodian of democracy of India - the President. A delegation of @AamAadmiParty MLAs wants to meet her to discuss Operation Lotus - the attempts of BJP to destabilise State Governments across the country,” AAP’s Atishi tweeted.