Delhi Minister Atishi has been served a defamation notice by the BJP Today (April 3rd), demanding a public apology, following her assertion that the saffron party had approached her with an ultimatum to switch allegiance or face arrest.
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NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken legal action against Delhi Minister Atishi in response to her recent assertions, where she claimed that she was given an ultimatum by the BJP to either join their ranks or face potential arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) within a month.
Parveen Shankar Kapoor, the spokesperson for Delhi BJP, served Atishi with a defamation notice, demanding a public apology for her allegations. Atishi had previously made statements alleging that the ruling party had not only threatened her with arrest but also approached her with an offer to switch allegiance.
“The BJP has approached me through someone very close. They have asked me to join the BJP and said this will save my political career. They have threatened that if I don’t switch over, ED (Enforcement Directorate) will arrest me within a month,”
-Atishi disclosed to the media.
In her statements, Atishi also claimed that she, along with her AAP colleagues Saurabh Bharadwaj, Raghav Chadha, and Durgesh Pathak, were being targeted by the BJP. She alleged that the BJP’s purported plan involved conducting raids at her residence and those of her relatives before effecting her arrest.
“The BJP’s plan is to arrest four more AAP leaders in the next two months. They will arrest me, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Durgesh Pathak, and Raghav Chadha,”
-Atishi asserted.
The BJP swiftly refuted Atishi’s accusations, denouncing them as “baseless.” Virendra Sachdeva, the chief of Delhi BJP, rejected Atishi’s claims and labeled them as falsehoods. He insinuated that the AAP was grappling with internal conflicts following the arrests of its top leaders in the liquor policy case.
“The entire Aam Aadmi Party was involved in the ‘liquor scam’ and its leaders were fighting among themselves over the apprehension about who would be the next ‘sacrificial lamb’,”
-Sachdeva alleged.
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BACKGROUND
Previously, the Enforcement Directorate has alleged that during its questioning regarding the liquor policy case, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal implicated fellow Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and state ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj.
As per the probe agency’s claim, Kejriwal stated that:
“Vijay Nair didn’t report to him but to Atishi Marlena and Saurabh Bharadwaj and his interaction with Vijay Nair was limited.”
Vijay Nair, the former communication-in-charge of AAP, is among the accused in the liquor policy case, with his purported involvement dating back to his tenure within the party coinciding with the alleged scam period.
When questioned about her involvement in the case, Atishi refrained from commenting, maintaining her silence.
The case, under investigation by both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED, revolves around alleged corruption in formulating a liquor policy during Kejriwal’s tenure as the Delhi Chief Minister.
In its chargesheet, the ED accused Nair of acting as a middleman for the ‘South Group,’ allegedly providing Rs 100 crore in kickbacks to the Kejriwal government for entry into the liquor retail business in Delhi. The probe agency alleges that Sameer Mahendru revealed to officials that Nair had arranged a meeting with Kejriwal, and when it didn’t materialize, he facilitated a video call between Mahendru and the Chief Minister.
“During the video call, Arvind Kejriwal told Sameer that Nair is his boy, that he can trust him and that he should carry on with Vijay,”
-the ED claims.
Nair was previously arrested by both the CBI and the ED in connection with the case and remains in custody. According to ED officials, Nair is believed to be part of a larger conspiracy, with the probe pointing to his collusion with Kejriwal himself.
In addition to Kejriwal, senior AAP leaders Satyendar Jain, Manish Sisodia, and Sanjay Singh have also been arrested and are currently in custody.
Earlier Today, the Rouse Avenue Court ordered the Delhi Chief Minister to 14 days’ judicial custody.
During the hearing, the Enforcement Directorate informed the court that Kejriwal was uncooperative during questioning.
“Arvind Kejriwal evaded replying to questions about why Nair worked from the Chief Minister’s Camp office by claiming unawareness of the people who work at the Chief Minister’s Camp office,”
-the probe agency stated in its application.
“He did not reveal the password for digital devices… His conduct was totally non-cooperative. He is not giving his phone and is deliberately misleading the investigation by giving evasive replies.”
ED added
Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate, and was sent to the custody of the federal agency till March 28. His custody was extended by four days, which ended today.
Click Here to Read Previous Reports on AAP Leader-Atishi
Click Here to Read Previous Reports on Arvind Kejriwal
Click Here to Read Previous Reports of Delhi Excise Policy Scam
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