Delhi Police seizes ‘Punjab govt’ car with liquor, cash and AAP pamphlets; BJP slams Kejriwal's party

The Punjab DIPR, however, clarified that the car's number plate is forged and fake and does not belong to the Punjab government at all.

Delhi Police late on Wednesday registered a case after a vehicle labelled "Punjab government" was found near Punjab Bhavan on Copernicus Marg, with cash, liquor and Aam Aadmi Party pamphlets in it, an official said.

Large sums of money, liquor and AAP pamphlets were recovered from inside the car. (X/@ANI)

The Flying Squad team caught the vehicle bearing a Punjab number plate in the New Delhi district, a news agency PTI report said.

Notably, the Flying Squad attends to all Model Code of Conduct violations and all complaints of threat, intimidation, movement of anti-social elements, liquor, arms and ammunition, and large amounts of money to bribe voters.

"Upon searching, we discovered cash, multiple liquor bottles, and Aam Aadmi Party pamphlets inside the vehicle," the Delhi Police said in a statement.

Legal proceedings have been initiated in connection with this regard while a case is being registered at the Tilak Marg police station accordingly.

Car doesn't belong to Punjab govt

According to a statement issued by the Punjab DIPR, the vehicle is registered in the name of Maj. Anubhav Shivpuri, who was posted in Army Dental College, Pathankot, three years ago.

Shivpuri is reportedly a permanent resident of Maharashtra's Khadki. "Moreover, the registered vehicle model registration number PB35AE1342 is a Ford Eco Sport of make year 2018 but the actual vehicle apprehended by the police belongs to the Hyundai Creta series," the Punjab DIPR statement read.

It was also confirmed that the vehicle's number plate is forged and fake. The Punjab DIPR also clarified that after searching through its records, it has been found that no such vehicle is owned or hired by the Punjab government.

"The apprehended vehicle does not belong to Govt of Punjab at all," the statement was cited by news agency ANI.

BJP reacts

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva expressed shock over the incident and said ₹10 lakh cash, liquor and AAP election material was seized from the alleged 'Punjab government' car.

"Till now, we thought Arvind Kejriwal institutionalised corruption in Delhi government, polluted Yamuna and Delhi's air but today we understand that he has polluted Delhi's political system too," Sachdeva said.

Sachdeva alleged that in Kejriwal's case, it was first liquor and now money. "So Arvind Kejriwal is losing the Delhi elections, so now the focus is on liquor and money," he told news agency ANI.

"He was already a liquor businessman but the money from 'Sheesh Mahal' is now being used in Delhi assembly elections... We have appealed today that strict checking and search should be done on all borders of Punjab and Delhi because the Punjab government and Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party are smuggling liquor and money in government vehicles," Sachdeva added.

Satish Upadhyay, BJP candidate from Malviya Nagar assembly constituency, also condemned the police finding the car with AAP pamphlets. He accused Kejriwal's party of wanting to buy public's votes by "distributing liquor and this is the culture of AAP...This is very shameful".

BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal, meanwhile, said that the recovery from the vehicle exposes the "disgusting face" of the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi.

"They have fooled the public of Delhi in the name of 'Aam Aadmi'...Arvind Kejriwal's AAP government is functioning in Delhi on the foundations of corruption, scams and lies. There will be a change in Delhi and a BJP government will be formed," Khandelwal told ANI.

AAP dismisses ‘hilarious’ allegation

AAP national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar defended her party and said that the allegation levelled against them is "hilarious". She noted that the Punjab government has also issued a clarification that no car with this number plate belonged to the Punjab government.

"The car never entered Punjab Bhawan. The registration number of the vehicle is of a Ford Ecosport car... The owner of the vehicle is from BJP-ruled Maharashtra, but they are showing that the owner of the vehicle is from Delhi... BJP will lose the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections," Kakkar added.

This is the latest in the chaos ahead of the February 5 electoral battle in Delhi. The counting of votes for the 70-member assembly polls will take place on February 8.

(with PTI inputs)