‘Amazed at their audacity’: Sunil Jakhar on AAP MLAs claims that they were offered money to join BJP

Chandigarh, March 28

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar on Thursday dismissed AAP MLAs’ allegations that they were offered money to join the saffron party, saying he was “amazed at their audacity”.

As AAP’s lone Lok Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Rinku and Jalandhar West MLA Sheetal Angural joined the BJP on Wednesday, three ruling party MLAs claimed they were offered money to jump ship.

The AAP alleged the BJP had “again started Operation Lotus” in Punjab and was trying to break the Arvind Kejriwal-led party.

‘Operation Lotus’ is a term used by opposition parties to describe what they call “poaching” of MLAs by the BJP to topple governments.

“I am amazed at their audacity. They are so thick-skinned and they are teaching morality,” Jakhar told reporters here in response to a question on allegations levelled by the AAP MLAs.

Jalalabad MLA Jagdeep Kamboj Goldy had claimed that one Sewak Singh called him from an international number on Tuesday with an offer to join the BJP.

He claimed he was offered Rs 20-25 crore but he told the caller that “I do not need it.”

Similar claims were made by Balluana MLA Amandeep Singh and Ludhiana South legislator Rajinder Pal Kaur Chhina. They asserted that they would not leave the party.

Meanwhile, Rinku slammed the AAP government in Punjab over the law and order situation and the drug menace.

Speaking at a press conference, Rinku also accused the AAP of not fulfilling the promises it made before the 2023 Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll.

“The party’s national leader had promised people in Jalandhar that heaps of garbage would be cleared once they sent our candidate to the Lok Sabha,” Rinku said.

“You (media) can send your teams to Model Town in Jalandhar to see for yourselves (what has been done),” he said.

“It was a small promise. There are many promises which were not fulfilled,” he added.

Rinku further claimed roads are broken and wastewater is overflowing in Jalandhar.

On the law and order situation in Punjab, Rinku claimed people are receiving ransom calls from criminals.

“Traders are feeling scared today,” he said.

Rinku claimed drugs are “easily available” in the state and “cable mafia is still operating in the state”.