In a sensational claim, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi on Tuesday said that the the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has threatened her with Enforcement Directorate (ED) action if she didn’t join the saffron party within a month.
Her claim comes a few weeks after AAP boss and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the ED in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. On April 1, he was sent to judicial custody till April 15. Kejriwal dubbed his arrest as a “political conspiracy” while his party has been organizing major protests. His arrest just ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls has also prompted furious protests from the opposition camp, INDIA alliance.
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While addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Atishi claimed that after arresting Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, now the Enforcement Directorate will arrest her, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Durgesh Pathak and Raghav Chadha.
“I have been told that soon there will be ED raids at our residence and then we will be taken into custody. The BJP is now targeting the next line of the leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party,” Atishi said.
“I have been approached to join the BJP through a personal contact. I have been told that either I can join the BJP and save my political career or get arrested in the next one month. An individual very close to me told me that Prime Minister Narendra Modi made up his mind to put every AAP leader in jail. Starting with Satyendar Jain, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, now they have arrested Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. But now they want to arrest another four top leaders — me, Raghav Chadha, Durgesh Pathak and Saurabh Bharadwaj,” Atishi said.
The Delhi minister further said that the BJP expected the AAP to come crashing down after Kejriwal’s arrest but they got scared after seeing the opposition parties coming along with lakhs of supporters together at the Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, “so now they want to target the next line of leadership,” Atishi said.
During her press conference, Atishi also laid down a timeline of how things would play out if she didn’t join the saffron camp. Atishi said there will be raids on her and on her relatives.
“Then we will be issued summons and then we will be put in jail. But I want to tell the BJP that we are not scared. Put all of us in jail, we will stand with Arvind Kejriwal until our last breath. Put everyone in jail. 10 others will take that place and join Arvind Kejriwal’s fight,” Atishi said.
Atishi’s claims comes a day after the ED took the name of Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj in the court and said Arvind Kejriwal told the probe agency that Vijay Nair — a key exponent of the alleged liquor scam — reported to Atishi and Saurabh.