Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. (File)Two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi stirred a hornet’s nest by claiming that 40 Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLAs were in touch with him, Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday alleged that seven AAP legislators had been offered Rs 10 crore each to switch over to BJP.
Accusing the BJP of indulging in horse-trading, Sisodia claimed BJP had earlier too tried to “buy” AAP MLAs and they were given an appropriate response by the public.
“Since the BJP does not have any development issue to raise, it has now come down to indulging in horse-trading by attempting to buy seven of our MLAs at Rs 10 crore each,” PTI quoted Sisodia as saying.
Referring to Modi’s claims at a rally in West Bengal’s Serampore that 40 TMC MLAs would switch sides once the BJP wins the Lok Sabha elections, Sisodia said it did not behove the prime minister to make such remarks.
“It does not suit the prime minister to make such comments. He (Modi) should realise that India is a democratic country and he is here because of democracy,” Sisodia said. TMC has already written a letter to the Election Commission alleging a violation of the model code.
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The BJP, however, rubbished the claim terming it “bizarre allegation” and a “desperate bid to gain attention”. “The AAP is baffled as it is losing the elections and its leaders are trying desperately to gain attention by making bizarre allegations,” BJP media head Ashok Goyal said.
Goyal also alleged AAP was dragging BJP’s name into their internal problems as Arvind Kejriwal was not being able to keep his flock together. “Arvind Kejriwal is not being able to stop the rebellion of AAP MLAs and is dragging BJP’s name in their internal problems,” Goyal said.
