Chandigarh 13th September : In the wake of reports of an extortion-related conversation with its minister the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) party in Punjab on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the BJP and accused the party of trying to overthrow the government in Punjab by using its ‘tested and proven Operation Lotus’.In a mocking of the allegations, opposition parties claimed “the government is trying to divert focus away from its own frauds and failings.” The Congress even “smells an underlying revolt within the AAP.”
In an interview with the media the Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that under Operation Lotus, many agents and leaders of the BJP from Delhi and Punjab have contacted about 10 AAP MLAs by phone in the last seven days, offering Rs 25 crore to each of them to abandon AAP and join the BJP.
He stated that they were willing to host meeting of AAP MLAs with Babu-ji (a top BJP leader) and also offered them cabinet ministerial ranks once the BJP form the government in the state.
In a scathing attack on the Modi government, Cheema said the BJP “is acting as an insidious murderer in Punjab and anti-national powers have teamed up to take over the AAP government in Punjab because they are unable to comprehend the dynamic working of the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government in the state.”
“After employing central investigators against AAP leadership in Delhi and offering cash to MLAs in Delhi and elsewhere, the BJP is trying to buy MLAs in Punjab,” Cheema said.
He stated that the BJP “is a serial killer who is bringing down governments in each state one at a coercing opposition officials with agencies and funds.The next goal in the murder of democracy under Operation Lotus” is Punjab.”
“Wherever the BJP loses they create their own government through breaking up MLAs with assistance of the CBI as well as the ED and cash.They have done it in Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Arunachal Pradesh.They are now conducting it in Punjab,” Cheema said.
Responding to a question from the media The minister responded that the Punjab government will initiate an investigation.Legal actions will be initiated in the issue.
Recently the BJP tried to overthrow the AAP government in Delhi which was elected by the citizens of Delhi with a massive majority.
He claimed that the BJP is merely afraid of Arvind Kejriwal and therefore they are determined to stop Kejriwal with any methods.”BJP is not thrilled by the increasing recognition of Kejriwal throughout the nation.This is why they swooped on the residence of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s house in Delhi as well as targeted the AAP office in Gujarat to intimidate AAP leaders.”
“Despite every effort in Delhi they could not even get even one of our MLAs.Now these criminals have brought shoplifting to Punjab however I’m confident that Operations Lotus will fall flat also in Punjab,” the Punjab Cabinet Minister said.
Cheema said that the BJP representatives and leaders are offering MLAs that if one of them is alone, he will get Rs 25 crore.If they invite other MLAs with them they will receive 50-70 crore.
In a scathing attack on refusing financial aid to Punjab Finance Minister said that the Modi government doesn’t give any rupee to aid Punjab financially, but they do have 1375 crore rupees “black money” to purchase the MLAs of Punjab”.
With important questions Cheema declared, “From where did this money of Rs.1,375 crore came from, and where did the money come from?
“Will the CBI and the ED be brave enough to probe this massive fraud? BJP has kept more than 2,200 crore, with the sum of Rs 1,375 crore for buying Punjab MLAs as well as Rs 800 crore for Delhi MLAs.” Cheema added.
AAP lawmakers Manjit Bilaspur Sheetal Anural Raman Arora, Labh Singh Ugoke and Rupinder Happy along with others, were also present with Cheema during the media event.
In response to the AAP’s claims, BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa declared, “The shoot-and-scoot tactics of Punjab leaders are arranged by Arvind Kejriwal.”
“Aam Aadmi Party” leaders keep calling Operation Lotus in every media interaction to hide their frauds and failures.However, neither Kejriwal nor Harpal Cheema could name the BJP leader who gave the money!” Sirsa added.
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring laughed off the accusations made by AAP.
He declared that “the BJP is quite capable of doing this.” It has a long history of taking Opposition MLAs, and destabilizing governments by buying MLAs and taking popular mandate but in this instance, the AAP seems to be trying to distract attention away from its own failings.”
“Or perhaps there is a tensions that is brewing within the AAP that MLAs feel anxious and the management is trying to avert any such movement,” Warring added.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has won the majority in the Assembly elections in Punjab in February, defeating the traditional players who controlled the state for more than seven decades.It also took 92 of the 117 Assembly seats.
AAP in Punjab is facing allegations of an extortion conversation that involved its minister.
An audio video of an alleged extortion conversation that was allegedly conducted between Cabinet Minister Fauja Sarari and his assistant Tarsem Lal Kapoor attracted the interest of opposition parties which included the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) which demanded an CBI investigation into the incident.
Minister and his assistant are heard debating ways to get cash from transporters and officials.
Sarari who is the head of the Welfare, Food Processing and Horticulture departments Sarari, who is the department head for Welfare, Food Processing and Horticulture, the accusations and has filed an official complaint.
In a demand for an CBI investigation into the alleged tape used to extort money, SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia claimed that the minister was caught in the middle of discussing a scheme to entrap officials and get the money they owed.
“The OSD (aide) has declared on record that the audio tape is authentic and now it’s up for the government to hand the tape along with the complete list of accusations against Sarari to the CBI in order to be thoroughly investigated,” Majithia said.
vg/uk
