Former Minister and disqualified Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Kapil Mishra and party women’s wing chief Richa Pandey Mishra formally joined the BJP on Saturday.
While Mr. Mishra, who represented the Karawal Nagar Assembly constituency till his recent disqualification from the Delhi Assembly, said he decided to join the BJP so that he could “openly raise slogans like Bharat Mata ki Jai”, Ms. Mishra claimed there was “no freedom of expression” in AAP. She also accused Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of being “anti-women”.
“I am joining the BJP because Kejriwal is like a dacoit; now I can openly raise slogans Bharat Mata Ki Jai, claim Kashmir to be our territory, fight against corruption, speak against the tukde-tukde gang and fight against negative politics in Delhi,” Mr. Mishra said.
Expressing his gratitude to the BJP’s leadership for welcoming him in the party, Mr. Mishra said, “I was fighting against corruption for the last two years...I have no regrets of losing my MLA seat as I have joined the BJP... corrupt Kejriwal has been exposed and the people will teach him a lesson in the forthcoming Assembly elections.”
Ms. Mishra, on her part, termed the AAP national convener “anti-women” and said that she had joined politics six years ago “to serve Mother India” but did not find “the commitment to serve the country in the Aam Aadmi Party”.
“There is no freedom of expression in this party, but today I feel that I have found the alternative politics for which I joined politics...in the BJP. The fight against corruption in which we were busy is really being fought by the BJP...We will seriously work for the formation of a BJP government in Delhi,” she said.
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said Mr. Mishra could now “compensate for his being a part of the anti-people elements” by “dislodging the anti-people party occupying seat of power in Delhi”.
‘Anti-people policies’
“The purpose for which AAP was formed is no more valid and hence, the people working for it are feeling suffocated. Due to the despotic attitude and anti-people policies of Kejriwal, not only the people of Delhi are suffering but the members of his party are also deserting it,” Mr. Tiwari alleged.
