On Saturday (February 3), a team from the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch unit arrived at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s home to hand over a notice in connection with his allegations that the BJP was attempting to poach Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs. The team visited Kejriwal’s residence on Saturday as the notice could be given only to the person in whose name it has been issued, sources said.
Earlier yesterday too, a team of Crime Branch had visited Kejriwal’s residence in connection with the case.
The Chief Minister’s Office, however, claimed that the crime branch team led by the ACP returned without handing the notice. Reports say that the crime branch officials visited CM Kejriwal as well as Minister Atishi’s residence to serve both a notice asking them to furnish any evidence about their poaching claims. However, it is reported that both were not present at their respective residences.
#UPDATE | Crime Branch team of Delhi Police had gone to the house of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi Minister Atishi to serve notice, but notice could not be served to either of them because both Atishi and Arvind Kejriwal were not present at their respective residences:…
— ANI (@ANI) February 2, 2024
The Crime Branch’s move came after a BJP delegation met with the Commissioner of Police on January 30 and asked for an investigation into Kejriwal’s accusations that the BJP is luring AAP MLAs.
On January 27, Kejriwal accused the BJP of poaching in an attempt to destabilise the AAP government in Delhi. Kejriwal said that the BJP called seven AAP MLAs and offered them Rs 25 crore each for switching sides. Kejriwal further said that the BJP informed AAP MLAs that he would be arrested soon.
Taking to X, CM Kejriwal wrote on January 27, “Recently he has contacted our 7 MLAs of Delhi and said – “We will arrest Kejriwal after a few days. After that, we will break the MLAs. Talks have been held with 21 MLAs. Talking to others also. After that, we will topple the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi. you can also come. Will give Rs 25 crore and contest the elections on BJP ticket.” Although he claims that he has contacted 21 MLAs but as per our information he has contacted only 7 MLAs so far and all of them refused. This means that I am not being arrested to investigate any liquor scam but they are conspiring to topple the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi. In the last nine years, they hatched many conspiracies to topple our government. But they did not get any success. God and the people always supported us. All our MLAs are also strongly together.”
पिछले दिनों इन्होंने हमारे दिल्ली के 7 MLAs को संपर्क कर कहा है – “कुछ दिन बाद केजरीवाल को गिरफ़्तार कर लेंगे। उसके बाद MLAs को तोड़ेंगे। 21 MLAs से बात हो गयी है। औरों से भी बात कर रहे हैं। उसके बाद दिल्ली में आम आदमी पार्टी की सरकार गिरा देंगे। आप भी आ जाओ। 25 करोड़ रुपये देंगे…
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 27, 2024
“This time also these people will fail in their nefarious intentions. These people know how much work our government has done for the people of Delhi. Despite all the obstacles created by them, we have accomplished so much. The people of Delhi love “AAP” immensely. Therefore, it is not in their power to defeat AAP in the elections. So they want to topple the government by arresting them on the pretext of a fake liquor scam,” the Delhi CM continued.
AAP leader Atishi claimed to have an audio clip of an “unknown” BJP leader telling an AAP MLA about the “likely arrest of Kejriwal and MLA-poaching plans.”The audio clip will be made public in a few days. The BJP leader is heard saying that Kejriwal is going to be arrested and that they would topple the AAP government following his arrest,” Atishi said.
2013 में जब AAP के 28 MLAs थे
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) January 27, 2024
तब BJP उपधायक्ष एक स्टिंग में AAP विधायकों को ख़रीदने की कोशिश कर रहे थे
2022 में भी Operation Lotus चला कर 20-20 करोड़ में ख़रीदने की कोशिश की
जब AAP MLAs नहीं बिके तो अब केजरीवाल जी को तथाकथित शराब घोटाले में गिरफ़्तार करके,
AAP के विधायकों… pic.twitter.com/7nFDQKqzJy
Subsequently, a team led by BJP leader Virendra Sachdeva, met with Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora to request an investigation into the chief minister’s allegations.
On the crime branch’s notice to CM Arvind Kejriwal over his claim of ‘poaching of MLAs by BJP’, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said, “We had condemned that fake allegation by Arvind Kejriwal and registered a complaint. I am happy if the Police have given him notice. Now, Kejriwal has to speak on his allegation, who are those MLAs who were approached and who spoke to them…”
#WATCH | On crime branch's notice to Delhi CM and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal over his claim 'poaching of MLAs by BJP', Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva says, " We had condemned that fake allegation by Arvind Kejriwal and registered a complaint. I am happy if the Police… pic.twitter.com/nq2bowvNwk
— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2024
On Friday (February 2), CM Arvind Kejriwal skipped the fifth summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate for interrogation in a money laundering case related to an alleged liquor policy scam.
