Kejriwal’s Bombshell Amid Controversy Over Poaching Allegations: ‘They Say Join BJP, I Say Never’

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday dropped another bombshell as he said he will never join the BJP, amid a row linked to his allegations that the saffron party is trying to poach seven AAP MLAs. He said he will not surrender, no matter the “conspiracy they hatch against us”.

“No matter what conspiracy they (BJP) hatch against us, no harm will come to us. I am also standing strong against them. I will not surrender (main bhi nahin jhukne wala). They say ‘join the BJP, we will spare you’. I say I will not join the BJP at all; I will never join the BJP. Why should I join the BJP? If you join the BJP, saare khoon maaf. What wrong have we done? We are building schools, hospitals, roads, making provision for water, repairing sewers. What wrong have we done?” Kejriwal asked, speaking at the inauguration of schools in the Kirari assembly constituency.

On a formal complaint by the BJP, the Delhi Police crime branch has served notices to Kejriwal and AAP minister Atishi in connection with their allegations that the BJP is making offers worth Rs 25 crore to seven MLAs in a bid to poach them. The Enforcement Directorate moved the court on Saturday (February 3) after the AAP convener skipped his summons for the fifth consecutive time, calling them “illegal”, “politically motivated” and “unsubstantiated in law”. The central agency filed a complaint against him in the Rouse Avenue court.

In Kirari, meanwhile, Kejriwal referred to his jailed colleagues, Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain. “They jailed Manish Sisodia, alleging that he is corrupt. He used to wake up in the morning and inspect schools. Which corrupt acts like this? A corrupt person indulges in drinks and women in the night,” he said.

His former deputy has been behind bars since February 26 last year, while AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has been in prison since October 4, 2023, for his alleged involvement in a money laundering case in connection with the Delhi excise policy.

The party’s communication incharge Vijay Nair is also in jail in the same case, but out on interim bail on medical grounds. Jain was arrested on May 30, 2022, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a separate case.

“Aaj yeh saare Kejriwal ke peeche pade hain (Today, they’re all after Kejriwal). They have unleashed all their agencies against Kejriwal, Sanjay Singh, Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain. What is their fault? Manish Sisodia’s fault was that he was building good schools, Satyendar Jain’s fault was that he was building good hospitals and mohalla clinics. Today, if Manish Sisodia would not have worked on schools, they would not have arrested him. Today, if Satyendar Jain had not worked on mohalla clinics and providing medicines, they would not have arrested him. They hatched conspiracies, but they could not bend us. We said work will go on. If you think that we will stop building schools, that will not happen even if you put Kejriwal in jail,” Kejriwal said.

On January 27, in an elaborate post on X, the chief minister had alleged that the BJP is in touch with seven AAP MLAs. Later, the same day, Atishi reiterated the allegations during a press conference.

When asked for proof about the allegations, Atishi alleged that the people who contacted AAP MLAs are the same who “toppled” governments in Uttarakhand, Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

While under investigation for his alleged involvement in the Delhi excise policy case, Sisodia in August 2022 had alleged on X that he had “received a message from the BJP to break up the AAP and join the BJP” in exchange for all CBI and ED cases being retracted.

The former deputy CM had repeated the same allegations while campaigning in poll-bound Gujarat. When asked for specifics and evidence, he had said it will be provided at an appropriate time. But, the AAP has not yet come up with it.

Slamming the AAP, BJP MP Parvesh Verma said this was all an attempt to divert attention. “Whenever any of their MPs or leaders are about to go to jail or get caught in some corruption, they try to divert people’s attention. They never gave any details. This time our party has lodged a complaint with the Delhi police commissioner,” he said.