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Punjab BJP urges governor to order HC judge probe into AAP’s ‘Op Lotus’ charge
Say timing of ‘political mischief’ suspect as Kejriwal propping up Harpal Cheema when Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann is on Germany tour; the delegation led by state BJP chief Ashwani Sharma claimed that the horse-trading charges levelled by AAP national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and other leaders against the BJP were “totally baseless and have been a political mischief to cover their own failures”.
A delegation of the Punjab BJP met governor Banwari Lal Purohit and sought a probe by a sitting high court judge into the Aam Aadmi Party’s allegation that it was trying to topple the AAP government under, what it calls “Operation Lotus”.
The delegation led by state BJP chief Ashwani Sharma claimed that the horse-trading charges levelled by AAP national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and other leaders against the BJP were “totally baseless and have been a political mischief to cover their own failures”.
“The timing of this political drama by the AAP holds importance as it is being done when chief minister Bhagwant Mann is on a week’s tour to Germany. The way things are unfolding, it doesn’t appear to be ‘Operation Lotus’ but ‘Operation Mann Hatao’ by Kejriwal. When Mann is away, Kejriwal has made AAP MLAs follow cabinet minister Harpal Cheema,” the delegation said.
Sharma also alleged Kejriwal doesn’t like Mann and to keep him on CM chair appears to be a compulsion as Punjabis have given the mandate to AAP in the name of Mann.
“The day will come when you will report in your headline: Mann removed as CM,” Sharma told reporters.
The BJP said because an FIR has been registered into the case of bribing AAP MLAs by the Vigilance Bureau that functions under the state government, so a free and fair probe cannot be expected.
“Only a sitting high court judge can bring the truth out about these Mission Lotus charges. Our delegation has demanded the same from the governor,” said Sharma.
Police on Wednesday had registered the first information report (FIR) on the basis of preliminary investigation into the AAP’s allegations against the BJP for attempting to topple its government in Punjab. The case was transferred to the VB according to standard guidelines.
AAP MLAs, led by Cheema, met Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav and complained against the BJP for allegedly offering money to them to switch sides. The FIR has been registered under Section 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and sections 171-B and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the state crime police station in Mohali. The AAP leaders, who met Yadav in Chandigarh, had filed a complaint against BJP “leaders and agents” for offering up to ₹25 crore each to 10 MLAs and threatening Jalandhar West legislator Sheetal Angural with death for allegedly exposing their plan to topple the Punjab government.
