Was told to either join BJP or face ED action: Atishi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 2

Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi alleged on Tuesday that she had been approached to join the BJP following her implication in the alleged Delhi excise policy case by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

BJP aims to get second-line leaders arrested

The BJP has realised that sending only Kejriwal to jail would not lead to the disintegration of AAP and now it aims to get four second-line leaders of the party arrested. — Atishi, aap leader

The Central agency informed the special court on Monday that Vijay Nair, former media in charge of the party, reported to Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj rather than to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, representing the ED, mentioned the senior leaders during Kejriwal’s remand hearing before Judge Kaveri Baweja at the special court.

Atishi said, “Following the arrest of the top four leaders of the party by the ED, they are now targeting the next line of leaders. They plan to detain me, Bhardwaj, MLA Durgesh Pathak and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chaddha.”

“The BJP approached me through an individual who is personally very close to me, urging me to join their party. I was given the choice to either join the BJP to safeguard and prolong my political career, or face arrest by the ED within a month if I declined,” she added.

Atishi asserted, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP are determined to crush and eliminate the AAP and all its leaders.” Accusing the BJP-led Central Government, she claimed that they initially arrested the top leadership of the AAP. Satyendar Jain was arrested in a money laundering case in 2022, followed by the arrest of Manish Sisodia in a case related to excise policy in February, and subsequently Sanjay Singh in October. The AAP suffered a setback after its party supremo, Kejriwal, was arrested in the excise policy case on March 21.

“I have received information that the ED will conduct a raid at my personal residence in the coming days. Not only my house but the homes of my relatives and family members will also be subjected to ED raids. Subsequently, summons will be issued to all of us, leading to our arrest,” she added.

She added that they wouldn’t yield to threats or leaders being detained because more leaders would emerge to fight Kejriwal’s battle and defeat the BJP. “We will fight until our last breath to safeguard the Constitution of the country and provide a better life to the people,” she concluded.

The AAP has asserted that Kejriwal will remain the Chief Minister no matter how long he stays behind bars.

She said, “There is no reason for Kejriwal to resign as CM because he has neither been charge-sheeted nor convicted in the excise policy case. Moreover, he enjoys an overwhelming majority in the Delhi Assembly.”

“If he resigns from the CM’s post, it will become a simple and straight standard operating procedure for the BJP to topple governments by sending CMs behind bars in false cases,” Atishi asserted.

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#Aam Aadmi Party AAP #BJP #Enforcement Directorate