BJP says party workers angry over AAP threats

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday said that party workers had gone to Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia’s house to protest against the alleged

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday said that party workers had gone to Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia’s house to protest against the alleged AAP threats to “kill mayors of Delhi”, a charge rejected by the AAP leaders.

Delhi's mayors and heads of BHP-led municipal corporations sitting on a protest outside the residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in Civil Lines, New Delhi. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

Even though CCTV footage shows BJP workers opening the doors and barging into Sisodia’s Mathura Road residence and police confirming the incident took place on Thursday, the BJP said it was an old video clip.

Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta said, “Our workers went to deputy CM’s house to protest against the threatening statement made by AAP leader Durgesh Pathak to kill BJP’s leaders who are protesting outside the CM’s residence. Pathak said this in Sisodia’s presence and the latter didn’t even object to it.”

Gupta was referring to a video clip circulating on social media which purportedly shows AAP leader Durgesh Pathak making the threat in the presence of Sisodia. The BJP had lodged a police complaint in the matter on Wednesday.

Pathak, in a statement, had rubbished the allegation and said the BJP has a habit of mixing random audio clips with random video clips to “defame and malign” the image of the people.

Delhi BJP vice-president Ashok Goel Devraha said BJP workers are angry over AAP leaders “threatening to kill BJP leaders”. “We had gone there to protest against the threatening remarks. AAP has become a party of goons who work under the patronage of CM Arvind Kejriwal. The Kejriwal government furiously promotes the criminal activities of its leaders. This is why, Durgesh Pathak dared to threaten to kill the mayors, who are sitting on a dharna outside CM residence. Instead of taking action against such leaders, the AAP is giving them an important position,” said Devraha, who led the protest.

Delhi BJP general secretary Harsh Malhotra said the video circulated by AAP is from July 12, 2020. “AAP made a video of July 12, 2020 video of Deputy CM Manish Sisodia’s residence viral, accusing BJP karyakartas of forcibly entering deputy CM Manish Sisodia’s residence, whereas during the demonstration today, not a single BJP worker entered the deputy CM residence,” said Malhotra.

Naveen Kumar, Delhi BJP media head, said Arvind Kejriwal should expel leaders like Pathak.