The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe following allegations that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) offered ₹1 crore to a Patidar leader in Gujarat to switch loyalties.
Money or muscle power
Senior AAP leader Ashutosh alleged that the BJP tries to poach leaders from other parties by using money or muscle power before every election.
In Gujarat, the BJP have realised that they do not have a chance of coming back to power, he said.
“This is the real face of the BJP,” Mr. Ashutosh said, claiming that similar attempts involving AAP leaders were made in 2014 in the Capital.
Shift in public mood
He said there was a shift in public mood in the country but the BJP was still resorting to old tactics of tying to intimidate opposition leaders with money or threats in its desperation to win Gujarat.
“The AAP demands a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the issue as we do not trust the Central Bureau of Investigation or any other agency. Even the Congress had not misused the CBI to this extent. Also, an FIR should be lodged against Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani,” Mr. Ashutosh said.
BJP rubbishes charge
Narendra Patel, a leader of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), had levelled the charge, which has been rubbished by the BJP.
Meanwhile, the AAP leader also questioned IPS officer Rakesh Asthana’s promotion as CBI Special Director and attacked the BJP government in Rajasthan over a controversial Bill that seeks to protect public servants and judges from prosecution and bars the media from reporting allegations against them without its prior sanction.
Asthana promotion
Mr. Asthana’s promotion late on Sunday night was clouded by reports that a Central Vigilance Commission panel had raised the issue of his alleged involvement in a corruption case.
“We hope that the Supreme Court takes cognizance of the move,” Mr. Ashutosh said.
