AAP leader Atishi alleges BJP offered party switch with threats of ED arrest
NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi Marlena, on Tuesday (April 02), levelled serious allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Atishi claimed that she was approached by the BJP with an offer to join the saffron party.
She asserted that along with the offer, there were threats of potential arrest by the enforcement directorate (ED) within the next month if she refused to join.
Atishi stated that these offers and threats were conveyed through one of her close associates.
Briefing the media, AAP leader and Delhi minister Atishi Marlena affirmed that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party remains undeterred by such intimidation tactics of the BJP.
She emphasized on the AAP’s commitment to its principles and vowed to continue its work without succumbing to threats.
“I want to convey to the BJP that AAP leaders will not succumb to your intimidations,” Atishi said.
She said: “We stand as steadfast soldiers of Arvind Kejriwal, following the principles of Bhagat Singh. We are prepared to endure any hardship and adversity but will never yield to your attempts to lure us into joining the BJP.”
“Even if you arrest all our leaders and MLAs, our resolve and determination in our fight will not waver,” the AAP leader further said.
Meanwhile, in response to Atishi’s accusations, Delhi BJP secretary Harish Khurana issued a stern ultimatum, demanding that she provide a specific name to substantiate her claims or face a police complaint lodged by the saffron party against her.
Khurana rebuked Atishi, labelling her allegations as an attempt to generate sensationalism in the media.
He posed a direct challenge to Atishi, emphasizing that unless she discloses a name, the BJP delegation would proceed with filing a formal police complaint against her.
Furthermore, Khurana insinuated a correlation between Atishi’s accusations and the legal issues faced by senior AAP leaders.
He suggested that Atishi’s motive behind the allegations might stem from the legal challenges encountered by AAP leaders like Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, who are currently under judicial scrutiny for corruption charges.
Khurana’s remarks were delivered via a video message, wherein he referenced the legal proceedings involving AAP leaders Kejriwal, Sisodia, and others, asserting that their incarcerations were a consequence of court directives rather than actions initiated by the enforcement directorate (ED).