Following the arrest of an AAP councillor by the CBI on charges of graft on Friday, the BJP on Friday cornered the AAP, accusing its leadership of being hand-in-glove with the accused councillor.
Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta termed “shameful” the conduct of the arrested AAP councillor, Geeta Rawat, who he alleged was close to the AAP’s top leadership. Mr. Gupta alleged the AAP councilor was taking monthly cuts from poor labourers, street vendors and running “a big racket” before she was caught red-handed by the CBI. “The arrest of the AAP councilor from east Delhi has exposed the veil of dishonesty from its face. This is the way AAP works and it stands exposed now,” Mr. Gupta said. “After taking money from the liquor mafia, they are not even sparing the poor street vendors earning their living on the street,” Mr. Gupta also alleged.
Meanwhile, the party also staged a protest at Jantar Mantar alleging that AAP chief and Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, dreamt of becoming the “PM of a separate India” and had lost his mental balance for nursing such ambitions. “It is Keiriwal who honoured people like Sharjeel Imam and gave prominent place to rioters like Tahir Husain in AAP. One of his own former aides and founders of his party has exposed his mindset,” Mr. Gupta said, in context of the allegations of Mr. Kejriwal being close to Khalistani separatists, levelled by former AAP leader Kumar Vishwas.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said it was ironic that Mr. Kejriwal considered Shaheed Bhagat Singh as his ideal on the one had and had announced his new excise policy on the day of his martyrdom. “This shows he has no respect for country’s patriots and great leaders. When the world was praising Indian soldiers for the air strike in Pakistan Kejriwal was questioning its authenticity,” the LoP said. Responding to the allegations against its councillor, the AAP said she deserved the strictest punishment if there was proof of wrongdoing on her part. “Whether they are a councillor, legislator or Member of Parliament, anyone found involved in corruption while in public office deserves the strictest punishment and be made an example out of so that other think a hundred times before doing something similar,” the AAP said in a statement.
