03 February,2024 11:20 AM IST | Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Arvind Kejriwal/ File Photo
On Saturday, a team of Delhi Police Crime Branch personnel served a notice at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence in the national capital. The warning comes in response to charges made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for attempting to buy AAP MLAs, per ANI report.
According to ANI's sources in Kejriwal's office, they are prepared to receive the notice, but Delhi Police's crime branch officers have not provided a receiving letter. According to the sources, the presence of media teams beside the police appeared to be an attempt to make a spectacle and ruin the Chief Minister's name.
Earlier on Friday, police officers looking for proof paid a visit to the home of AAP minister Atishi, who, like Kejriwal, was absent, the report stated.
The AAP has accused the BJP of attempting to destabilise the elected Delhi government with "Operation Lotus 2.0." At a news conference, prominent AAP leader Atishi said that the BJP approached various AAP MLAs with payments and threats to persuade them to defect. The AAP leader insisted that the party is not terrified and that despite claimed offers to MLAs, no one is considering defecting, the report added.
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The ANI report quoted the AAP leader saying, "BJP has started 'Operation Lotus 2.0', and is trying to topple the democratically elected AAP government in Delhi. 7 MLAs of the AAP have been contacted by the BJP, and have been told, that Arvind Kejriwal will be arrested soon, after which AAP MLAs will be rifted apart. They are in touch with 21 of our MLAs, using whom they aim to topple the Delhi government. Those 7 MLAs have been offered Rs 25 crores each... Operation Lotus is the tactic used by the BJP to come into power in states, where they are not democratically elected... Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh are examples."
The leader, per the ANI report, added, "In Delhi, they are going to our MLAs and saying that Kejriwal is going to go to jail and then we will call all the MLAs to ourselves and form the BJP government in Delhi, but I want to say that the Aam Aadmi Party is not afraid. Not a single MLA is afraid."
"Currently, 7 MLAs have been offered by BJP; we have the recording of one of them and will release it when required," said Atishi, per the report.
While Atishi stated having a tape relating to "Operation Lotus 2.0," the BJP has denied the AAP's assertions, demanding Kejriwal to furnish specifics. BJP leader Kapil Mishra called Kejriwal's claims dishonest and accused him of evading inquiries from the Enforcement Directorate.
"Arvind Kejriwal is again lying as he has done since the last seven times. Not once has been able to tell which phone number was used to contact them, who contacted them, and where was the meeting held. he just gives out statements and goes into hiding... His partners are in jail, and he is repeatedly avoiding ED summons because he knows he does not have answers to the ED questions..." said BJP leader Kapil Mishra, according to the report.
In the Delhi Assembly elections, the AAP won 62 of 70 seats, the BJP won only 8, and other parties, including the Congress, failed to capture any.
