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AAP MLAs to visit CBI office, demand probe against BJP for toppling govts
AAP lawmaker Atishi said a similar pattern was being observed as governments in non-BJP ruled states were toppled one after another
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of spending crores to topple state governments across the country under “Operation Lotus” and said 10 lawmakers of Delhi’s ruling party will go to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) headquarters on Wednesday to demand a probe into the matter.
AAP lawmaker Atishi said a similar pattern was being observed as governments in non-BJP ruled states were toppled one after another. “Under step one, central agencies like CBI...are deployed to threaten the political leaders. They are subsequently asked to join the party [BJP] with offers of withdrawing these cases...as part of the final step, crores are offered to topple an elected government,” Atishi said.
She said the BJP has succeeded in changing governments in Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Karnataka, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra as part of the “Operation Lotus”. She added similar attempt was being made in Delhi. “BJP has poached 277 MLAs [members of legislative assembly] across the country. Twenty of our MLAs were being offered ₹20 crores. BJP has spent ₹6,300 under operation Lotus across the country,” she said.
She questioned where the money is sourced from and alleged revenue generated from high prices of petroleum products was being diverted to poach MLAs. “At 3pm, AAP MLA delegation will go to the CBI headquarters with a demand of nationwide probe into this matter.” She alleged the country’s democratic setup was under threat from the BJP.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said Atishi should either name the individual, who offered bribes to AAP MLAs or should stop lying.
AAP and BJP have been at loggerheads since the CBI initiated an inquiry into the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam. CBI has named deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia as an accused in the case and raided his residence on August 19. It also checked his bank lockers on Tuesday.
The BJP has alleged corruption in the policy. AAP has maintained false allegations were being made against the party as part of an attempt to topple its government. It claimed Sisodia and other AAP MLAs were offered money to defect.
Earlier on Wednesday, BJP’s seven members of Parliament from Delhi wrote a letter to lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena requesting an inquiry into allegations about purported attempts to poach AAP MLAs while calling them attention to divert attention from the alleged liquor scam among other things.
