The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to topple the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi by issuing threats to legislators under the guise of a no-confidence motion. The BJP, which has only eight MLAs in the Delhi Assembly, is reportedly offering two options to AAP MLAs: join the saffron party or face jail time from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED). The budget session of the Delhi Assembly began on Friday, and Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri has said the BJP will bring a no-confidence motion against the AAP government over its alleged involvement in corruption.
Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, speaking at a press conference, claimed that the BJP is attempting to buy MLAs to topple the government, just as in other states like Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Chadha also criticized the BJP-led Centre for allegedly using investigating agencies against the AAP and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who is currently in jail in connection with a case related to the now-scrapped excise policy for the national capital for 2021-22. Chadha cited the case of BJP worker Kiran Patel, who was recently arrested by Jammu and Kashmir Police for posing as an “additional secretary” at the Centre and enjoying a security cover despite being a party worker. Chadha accused the BJP of protecting Patel while targeting Sisodia. Despite the alleged threats from the BJP, Chadha stated that the AAP’s MLAs remain loyal and have not been lured away.
