The Aam Aadmi Party, on Monday, alleged that the BJP and the Congress were trying to destabilise the Arvind Kejriwal government and the recent standoff in Delhi over power supply and prices was part of a larger conspiracy.
AAP alleged that the BJP leaders Narendra Modi and Arun Jaitley were behind moves to lure its MLAs and split the party.
The BJP has 32 MLAs in a House of 70, while AAP has 28 and is in power with the outside support of the Congress, which has eight members.
A day after Vinod Kumar Binny, MLA expelled from AAP, claimed the support of three MLAs, including its Kasturba Nagar legislator, Madan Lal, the party leader Sanjay Singh said it would start a “pol khol” (expose) campaign on Tuesday to expose both the parties.
He sought to know how even before the news of the power crisis was out, the BJP was on the streets protesting. “How did they know even before the government that electricity companies will cut power? As soon as Arvind Kejriwal threatens to cancel the licences, a series of events take place: Mr. Jaitley gives his opinion, Mr. Modi talks and so does Mr. Harsh Vardan. There are threats of the government being toppled.”
Dismissing the charge, Mr. Jaitley tweeted, “Rubbish claims by AAP. AAP’s alternative politics includes a fundamental right to falsehood and lies.”
The Congress leader Kamal Nath asked AAP to initiate an investigation into the allegations as it was in government in Delhi. “It should order a probe,” he said.
Speaking to presspersons, Mr. Madan Lal claimed that he had been contacted by the BJP with an offer of money to split AAP. He produced no evidence to support his charge, but claimed he had been approached with “Rs. 20 crore and chief ministership” to wean 10 MLAs from AAP “by persons claiming to be close to Mr. Modi.”
He said that on December 7 last year, when the Delhi government was being formed, an unidentified person telephoned him saying a prominent leader wanted to talk. “He then named the BJP leader Arun Jaitley. When he said that, I cut the phone,” he said displaying on his cell phone screen a call received around half past noon on December 7 when he spoke for 44 seconds.
