Delhi’s Finance Minister Atishi on Sunday said the notice served to her by the city police in connection with her MLA poaching allegations against the BJP ‘does not mention any FIR or include any penal provisions.’
On January 27, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Atishi claimed that the BJP was trying to poach AAP MLAs by offering INR 25 crore each and a ticket to contest next year’s assembly polls to topple the AAP government.
A team of Delhi Police’s Crime Branch on Sunday visited Atishi’s home and served her a notice in connection with her allegations.
Police sources said the Crime Branch team visited her residence for a second time, where she was served. CM Kejriwal was also served a notice in the matter.
Speaking at a press conference, Atishi also expressed her sympathy for the Crime Branch officers who she claimed were being ‘forced by their political bosses to indulge in such theatrics.’
The BJP rubbished the allegations as ‘false’ and ‘baseless’, and asked the AAP leaders to furnish evidence to back the claims. Delhi BJP secretary Bansuri Swaraj also accused the AAP of creating hurdles in the probe.
In response to the notice, Atishi said on Sunday, ‘Yesterday (Saturday), the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch served a notice to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Today, they served a notice to me. However, the notice does not have any mention of an FIR.’
‘It does not even include any section of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) or CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure) or PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) or Prevention of Corruption Act,’ she said.
According to the Crime Branch notice, Kejriwal and Atishi have been asked to provide information on their allegations against the BJP, given that comments made by them suggest they are privy to certain information regarding the commission of a cognizable offence.
They have been asked to respond to the notice by February 5.
BJP asked me to join party; not going to no matter what: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday alleged that all investigative agencies have been unleashed on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ‘to frame false cases,’ adding that the BJP ‘asked him to joined the party,’ which he has ‘refused.’
Kejriwal was speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of four new government schools in Kirari at Sector 41, Rohini, in northwest Delhi.
Reiterating the MLA poaching claims, the chief minister said that ‘conspiracies have been hatched to derail the development work of the AAP government in Delhi.’
‘They have hatched all their conspiracies but they could not bend us. Even if Kejriwal is jailed, the schools and hospitals will continue to be developed… They can hatch any conspiracy against us… I am not going to bend. They are asking me to join BJP and will spare us if I do but I have said that I am not going to join BJP no matter what,’ Kejriwal said while addressing the gathering.
Kejriwal also spoke about the development work carried out by the AAP government in the health and education sectors and unauthorized colonies.
The CM noted that the Centre spends ‘only 4% of the national budget’ on schools and hospitals, whereas the Delhi government ‘has spent 40% on the same over the last eight years.’
Kejriwal also spoke about jailed senior party leaders Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and Sanjay Singh in his address.
‘All agencies are after us. Sisodia’s fault is that he was building good schools. Satyendar Jain’s fault is that he was getting good hospitals and Mohalla clinics built. Had Sisodia not been working for the betterment of school infrastructure, he would not have been arrested,’ added Kejriwal.
The party was blessed by the goodwill of students who have received good education and people who have received healthcare, the CM added.
‘Continue showering your blessings and I do not wish to have anything else,’ he added.
Kejriwal said that more than new development work is being carried out in Kirari, including new schools, Mohalla clinics.
Kejriwal posted on X saying ‘If we have done something wrong, we would have joined BJP like the others did and got our cases closed. When we have not done anything wrong then why should we join BJP? All the cases filed against us are false. All the cases will end, if not today then tomorrow. No work in Delhi will be allowed to stop. As long as I breathe, I will continue to serve the country and society.’
Responding to Kejriwal’s allegations, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said that Kejriwal was afraid of investigations by the probe agencies.
‘They (the AAP government) are engulfed in corruption and theft and that is why they are afraid of the investigations. That is why he (Kejriwal) is lying. He wants to distract and trick people of Delhi and that is why he is dreaming about things that will never happen,’ he added.