VIDEO: After high drama, Delhi Police serves Kejriwal on 'MLA poaching' claims
Last week, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had claimed in a post on
Delhi News: After a five-hour drama, Delhi Police officials on Saturday served a notice to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, asking him to respond within three days in a probe into his claims that the BJP was trying to oust seven AAP MLAs to take.
A Delhi police officer said, “We have served the notice on him (Kejriwal). He can give the answer in writing within three days.”
The Crime Branch has asked Kejriwal to reveal the names of AAP MLAs who were allegedly approached by the BJP.
Earlier, a drama unfolded at Kejriwal's residence in Civil Lines when a Crime Branch team arrived again on Saturday to serve him a notice in connection with the investigation.
#UPDATE | Delhi Police officials leave from CM Arvind Kejriwal's residence after serving him a notice in connection with the Aam Aadmi Party's allegation against the BJP “of trying to buy AAP MLAs”. pic.twitter.com/pAf6uYhB2V
— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2024
Last week, Kejriwal, in a post on
Soon after Kejriwal, Delhi Minister Atishi held a press conference and claimed that the BJP had launched “Operation Lotus 2.0” in Delhi.
“They had made a similar attempt last year to poach AAP MLAs by offering them money, but it failed,” she said.
After the allegations were made, a Delhi BJP delegation led by its chief Virender Sachdeva met Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora on January 30 for an inquiry.
VIDEO | ACP (Crime Branch) Pankaj Arora leaves from #Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's residence after five o'clock.
A crime branch team had arrived at CM Kejriwal's residence in the morning to serve him a notice to join a probe into his allegation that the BJP was trying to poach AAP MLAs. pic.twitter.com/tqSspDv3gi
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 3, 2024
A team of Delhi Police officials reached Kejriwal's residence on Friday to serve a notice but failed, according to sources who said the men at his home refused to accept it. The team again reached the Delhi Chief Minister's residence on Saturday with the message.
The police sources said the message was eventually handed over to the officials present at the CM residence.
The police team was led by an official at the level of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (ACP), who insisted that they would hand over the notice to Kejriwal only as it was in his name, while officials at the CM's residence said that they were ready to receive the message. and give a reception.
Outside the premises, AAP leader Jasmine Shah was seen trying to seek an explanation from a crime branch official about the legal provision under which he insisted on handing over the notice to Kejriwal personally.
“I asked a simple question to the Delhi police officer standing at the entrance of CM Arvind Kejriwal's residence. Under what law does he insist on handing a notice to CM personally? He had no answers. Clearly they are only here to play nautanki (drama),” Shah wrote, posting a video on X.
I asked a simple question to the Delhi police officer standing at the entrance of CM's residence @ArvindKejriwal:
Under what law does he insist on handing a notice to CM personally? He had no answers
It is clear that they are only here to do 'nautanki'
pic.twitter.com/094Ux3ayaU— भारत भूषण बरवाला (@NEXTPM_Kejriwal) February 3, 2024
Delhi Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the police deliberately did not hand over the notice to the CM's office.
“This is so embarrassing for the Modi government. The BJP has been completely exposed today. Yesterday, all the BJP spokespersons claimed that the CM office had not received any police notice. Today they are exposed. The ACP is deliberately not serving any notice to the CM office,” he wrote on X.
Another AAP leader, Sandeep Pathak, said, “All functionaries will now have to learn to say no, no matter how much pressure they face (from the Centre).”
AAP Minister Gopal Rai said in his Facebook account that Delhi Police should ask the BJP leaders about the MLAs they had approached for poaching.
AAP sources alleged that the police have brought the media along to tarnish the chief minister's image.
Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva claimed in a press statement that Kejriwal's behavior resembles that of criminals. He has no evidence and the “Lotus 2.0” accusation is a fabricated story to distract from his corruption, he said.
BJP leader Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said in the statement that FIRs should be filed against Kejriwal and Atishi if they fail to prove their allegations. Strict action should be taken against them, he added.
The development comes a day after a crime branch team visited the chief minister's residence but failed to deliver the notice.
A crime branch team had also visited Atishi's residence on Friday but could not convey the notice as she was not present.
(Only the headline was reworked by India.com staff. The copy is from an agency feed)