The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): Four high-ranking leaders from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), including Delhi Minister Atishi, are facing imminent arrest, Atishi revealed on Tuesday. She alleges that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has indirectly pressured her to defect to their side, with threats of being detained by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) within a month if she does not comply.
During a media briefing, Atishi named herself alongside Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, MLA Durgesh Pathak, and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha as the members targeted for arrest. In response, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva dismissed her claims as false, accusing the AAP of internal conflict and involvement in a “liquor scam”.
Atishi further contends that the ED is expected to raid her home and her relatives’ residences shortly, followed by summons and arrests. She defends Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s position, stating his resignation would unjustly benefit the BJP by establishing a precedent for ousting governments through fabricated legal challenges.
Asserting that the BJP’s strategy has evolved from targeting Kejriwal alone to focusing on arresting the party’s second-tier leadership, Atishi declared her unwavering commitment to fight against these intimidations, echoing sentiments of loyalty to Kejriwal and inspiration from Bhagat Singh.
Saurabh Bharadwaj characterized the BJP’s proposition as a direct threat, emphasizing the resilience of the AAP even after the arrest of its key leaders, including Kejriwal. He criticized the BJP’s apparent aim to secure over 400 Lok Sabha seats in upcoming elections through such tactics.
The AAP leaders’ united front comes in the wake of Kejriwal’s recent arrest by the ED concerning a money laundering case linked to a defunct excise policy. The AAP accuses the BJP of attempting to destabilize Delhi’s governance by enticing its members with lucrative offers to defect.
