‘BJP said come to us, we will let you go… I said no’: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s fresh salvo

"But even if you put Chief Minister Kejriwal in jail, the (ongoing) works of building schools and Mohalla clinics and providing free treatment to the people of Delhi will not stop," he asserted.

By: Express Web Desk

New Delhi | Updated: February 5, 2024 11:09 AM IST

4 min read

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (PTI Photo)

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Sunday alleged that the BJP had made an offer to AAP leaders to join the party in exchange for dropping all investigations against them. Speaking after laying the foundation of two new school buildings in Kirari, the AAP chief said that he had made it clear that he would not switch sides.

“Those who conspire against us can do whatever they want, but nothing will happen. I am standing firm against them, and I will not bend. They say, ‘Come to the BJP, and we will let you go.’ I have also said that I will not join the BJP at all. Why should we go to the BJP? We will not go to the BJP. If you go to the BJP, all crimes are forgiven,” he said.

While AAP leaders have accused BJP of trying to break away its MLAs and members several times, this is the second time in a week that the party chief has made these allegations. In a post on X, Kejriwal said on January 27 that BJP had contacted 7 Delhi MLAs and said they were told that after he was arrested, the government in Delhi will be toppled. He also alleged the MLAs were offered Rs 25 crore to jump ship.

BJP leaders filed a complaint in the matter, and the Delhi Police Crime Branch served a notice to Kejriwal on Saturday, asking him to give details related to the allegation. The notice was served to him after a 5-hour-long standoff between police officers and AAP leaders. On Sunday, the police attempted to serve notice to Atishi in the same matter. The team returned after handing the notice to Atishi’s staff members as she was not home.

Speaking about his former deputy, the CM said Manish Sisodia had been jailed as part of a witch hunt against AAP leaders. “These people are after us, they have put Manish in jail. They are saying he was involved in corruption. Manish used to visit schools at 6 am. He used to survey 10 to 15 schools a day to check if children were receiving a good education or not. Which corrupt individual takes rounds of schools to ensure quality education?” he said.

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva called Kejriwal’s assertion a “new bundle of lies” and said he should either name the BJP leader who made him an offer to join the BJP or resign. “On January 27, he falsely accused the BJP of trying to break away AAP MLAs… and now he has been evading police investigation. Today, he levelled baseless allegations that he had received an offer to join BJP. The claim is completely misleading and is proof that Kejriwal is trying to divert public attention away from allegations of corruption against him,” Sachdeva said.

The CM laid the foundation of two new buildings, from where four schools will function in two shifts each. The schools will be ready by January next year, he said, and will accommodate around 10,000 kids. Education Minister Atishi and local MLA Rituraj Jha were also present.

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