New Delhi: Delhi Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj came down heavily on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, alleging that the BJP had offered money, security and positions to AAP MLAs in Punjab to switch and join the BJP.
“I think what Arvind Kejriwal was saying earlier has turned out to be true today — Operation Lotus has been floated just to break AAP and topple our governments in Delhi and Punjab,” said the AAP leader.
Saurabh Bharadwaj also raised a question as to why AAP legislators from Punjab, Sushil Kumar Rinku, a Member of Parliament from Jalandhar, and Sheetal Angural, a Jalandhar West MLA, joined hands with the BJP in Punjab’s Jalandhar, where the party was to come fourth in the elections.
Speaking to the media on Thursday, Bharadwaj said, “If the BJP is in such bad condition in Punjab, why did it poach our MP (Sushil Kumar Rinku) and MLA (Sheetal Angural) yesterday? Our MLAs from Punjab told us yesterday that several MLAs in the state were offered money to switch and join the BJP and that they were offered Y+ security and positions. They were also given the offer to contest Lok Sabha elections.”
“Sushil Kumar Rinku’s MP tenure has concluded. A model code of conduct is in place. He can do only one thing now, which is contest elections. You can ask anyone for an assessment. The BJP will come in fourth in Jalandhar, Punjab. They can do whatever they want, but they will be fourth. The question is, why would an MP join the BJP to come fourth?” said Bharadwaj.
The AAP leader also said that three AAP Punjab MLAs had held a press conference wherein it was discussed that a majority of AAP MLAs received phone calls where they were lured to join the BJP.
“I think what Arvind Kejriwal was saying earlier has turned out to be true today – Operation Lotus has been floated just to break AAP and topple our governments in Delhi and Punjab. But we are proud of our MLAs that they brought this to the knowledge of party leadership and held a press conference,” said Bharadwaj.
AAP Sushil Kumar Rinku and Sheetal Angural join BJP
Earlier on Wednesday, two Aam Aadmi Party legislators from Punjab, Sushil Kumar Rinku and Sheetal Angural, joined the BJP, met its national president, JP Nadda, at his residence.
Rinku, a Member of Parliament from Jalandhar, and Angural, a Jalandhar West MLA, met Nadda immediately after both of them joined the BJP at its headquarters here. Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar was also with them during the meeting.
Rinku said that he had taken this decision for the development of Jalandhar.
Operation Lotus to topple govt: Saurabh Bharadwaj reacts on Sushil Rinku, Sheetal Angural joining BJP
