The Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government on Wednesday called for a special session of the Assembly on August 26. The decision came amid allegations levelled by the Aam Aadmi Party that the Bharatiya Janata Party offered bribes to its MLAs to switch sides, reported PTI.
The decision came hours after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other leaders of the party’s political affairs committee held a meeting. Kejriwal has also called for another meeting with his party MLAs at 11 am on Thursday, reported ANI.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Aam Aadmi Party alleged that the BJP offered Rs 20 crore each to four of its Delhi MLAs to switch camps. The BJP threatened the legislators of implicating them in false cases if they do not do so, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh claimed.
“AAP MLAs are [being] approached by members of the BJP with whom they have friendly relations,” Singh said at a press conference. “They are told to take the offer of Rs 20 crore or else face false cases and the Enforcement Directorate like how they did to Manish Sisodia ji.”
Singh said that Aam Aadmi Party MLAs Ajay Dutt, Sanjeev Jha, Somnath Bharati and Kuldeep Kumar have been approached by the BJP.
Singh made the claims a day after Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed to have has exposed the BJP’s Operation Lotus. Operation Lotus is a term used to refer to the BJP’s alleged attempts to orchestrate defections in Opposition parties.
On Monday, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said that the BJP had offered to close all cases against him if he joined the outfit. The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a first information report against 15 persons, including Sisodia, alleging irregularities in a proposed new liquor policy for the capital city.
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