Punjab Police registers FIR after AAP accuses BJP of bid to poach its MLAs

NEW DELHI: The Punjab Police on Wednesday registered FIR after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused BJP of bid to poach its MLAs.
AAP had claimed that the BJP had offered Rs 25 crore each to its at least 10 MLAs.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the saffron party is planning an "Operation Lotus" to poach MLAs from other parties in every state, either with the help of money or the fear of agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
"We came to know on Tuesday that they (BJP) tried to buy MLAs in Punjab by offering them Rs 25 crore each. Ten of our MLAs were approached. They will address a press conference on Wednesday and expose the BJP," Kejriwal said.
"They are buying MLAs and making governments fall, which is dangerous for democracy," he added.
Meanwhile, BJP rejected the accusation and described the ruling party's claims as the “most ridiculous joke”.
"It is the most ridiculous joke that AAP is playing on Punjabis for the simple reason that they want to deflect the people's attention from gross corruption the AAP government has done in liquor policy in Punjab," BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh said.
Last month, the AAP alleged that 40 of its Delhi MLAs were offered Rs 20 crore each by the BJP to switch parties but none of them yielded under the pressure.
(With agency inputs)