New Delhi:
Delhi Minister Atishi was served a notice by the Election Commission on Friday, seeking a response on her ‘join BJP or face jail’ claim.
The poll body has sought a response from her by Monday (April 8), 12 noon.
On April 2, Atishi said four senior leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), including herself, would be arrested soon, claiming the BJP approached her through a “very close” person to join it or be prepared to be nabbed by the Enforcement Directorate within a month.
At a press conference, Atishi claimed that she, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, MLA Durgesh Pathak and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha would be arrested.
A day later, the BJP sent a defamation notice to Atishi over her claim.
Later, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva claimed that Atishi was “lying”.
The entire Aam Aadmi Party was involved in the “liquor scam” and its leaders were fighting among themselves over the apprehension about who would be the next “sacrificial lamb”, he said.
“Since Kejriwal has stated that the excise policy case accused and AAP leader Vijay Nair, who is in jail, used to report to Atishi and Bharadwaj, the AAP leaders are fighting among them. Atishi by saving her skin has led Chadha and Pathak in trouble,” the Delhi BJP chief said.
Bharadwaj said Nair had given his statement one and half years ago and the BJP leaders were “using” it now, which showed the party’s “absurd political strategy”.
Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 in connection with a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped excise policy of his government. He was on Monday sent to judicial custody till April 15 by a city court.
The AAP has accused the BJP of wanting to impose President’s rule in Delhi by poaching its legislators and breaking the party.
The AAP’s Kirari MLA Rituraj Jha claimed he was offered Rs 25 crore to join the saffron party.
