Hours after senior AAP leader and Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot announced his resignation from the party on Sunday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a series of attacks on the ruling party in Delhi, accusing it of corruption and internal collapse. AAP, in turn, blamed the BJP for orchestrating the resignation through alleged misuse of central agencies like the ED and CBI.

‘AAP’s ship is sinking’: BJP

BJP leaders framed Gahlot’s resignation as a sign of deeper issues within AAP. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the move highlights the alleged corruption in the Kejriwal-led government. “Resigning and joining are nothing new in the political field. However, the questions raised by Kailash Gahlot are a topic of discussion. BJP has been continuously exposing the corruption of the Arvind Kejriwal-led government,” Sachdeva said.

Manoj Tiwari, BJP MP and former Delhi BJP chief, went a step further, declaring, “AAP has finished. He was Transport Minister, was in top three leaders of the party. He used to hold an important ministry. With him endorsing what whole Delhi is alleging that AAP does not have intention to serve the state, it is a big thing,” PTI reported.

Also Read:Delhi Minister Kailash Gahlot resigns from AAP; blames ‘Sheeshmahal’ scandal, Delhi-Centre tensions

Another BJP leader Harsh Malhotra linked the resignation to Delhi’s worsening air quality, saying,”If (AAP) ministers are resigning, then it means the party’s ship is sinking. Party’s ministers and MLAs have to give answers to the public about the development they have done for the region. Delhi is now suffering from pollution and AQI has almost reached 450. This is why their (AAP) ministers are resigning.”

The BJP also zeroed in on Gahlot’s critique of controversies like the so-called “sheeshmahal,” referring to Arvind Kejriwal’s alleged expenditure on his former official residence. “Kailash Gahlot revealed how Aam Aadmi Party has now become a ‘Khaas Aadmi Party’. All the promises made to the people of Delhi have been broken, and the party has been engulfed in corruption,” said BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla.

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AAP hits back

AAP leaders responded to the BJP’s attacks on Gahlot’s resignation, accusing the party of pressuring him to step down by weaponizing central agencies. “BJP has reactivated its conspiracies through ED and CBI. There were a lot of cases of ED and CBI on Kailash Gahlot. He chose to join BJP rather than struggling in jails,” said Priyanka Kakkar, AAP’s national spokesperson.

AAP leaders responing to saffron party and reacting on Gahlot’s reignation, accusing the BJP of pressuring Gahlot to resign by weaponizing central agencies. “BJP has reactivated its conspiracies through ED and CBI. Gahlot faced multiple raids, and this is part of a pattern to destabilise our party,” said Priyanka Kakkar, AAP’s national spokesperson.

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“Kailash Gahlot has been raided by the ED, Income Tax many times. He was part of the government for five years, and the BJP was continuously conspiring against him, he was left with no other option but to go with the BJP. The BJP tries this, they get successful sometimes, and sometimes not. He is now repeating what BJP says, it is the conspiracy of the BJP. I had also said that Raaj Kumar Anand will go to the BJP. The day you join the BJP, you get rid of all the accusations,” says AAP leader Sanjay Singh as Kailash Gahlot quits party.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh echoed the sentiment, saying, “BJP was continuously conspiring against him, he was left with no other option but to go with the BJP. The BJP tries this, they get successful sometimes, and sometimes not,” PTI reported.

“He is now repeating what BJP says, it is the conspiracy of the BJP. I had also said that Raaj Kumar Anand will go to the BJP. The day you join the BJP, you get rid of all the accusations,” he added.

The ‘Sheeshmahal’ debate

In his resignation letter, Gahlot’ highlighted the “awkward” controversies faced by AAP, particularly the criticism over Kejriwal’s alleged lavish spending on his residence. The BJP has repeatedly used this issue to accuse AAP of hypocrisy, dubbing Kejriwal’s home as the “sheeshmahal.”

While Gahlot’s remarks added fuel to this debate, AAP dismissed it as an attempt by BJP to deflect from governance issues.