Highlights
- The AAP has 62 MLAs in the 70-member Delhi Assembly
- The BJP has 8 MLAs in the Delhi Assembly
- Kejriwal on Friday alleged the BJP's 'Operation Lotus' to topple his government failed
Delhi Assembly session: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday tabled a confidence motion in the Delhi Assembly, saying it was meant to prove that 'Operation Lotus' could have been successful in other states but failed here as all AAP MLAs were "hardcore honest".
Maintaining that the BJP's 'Operation Lotus' to topple his government failed as it could not poach any of the AAP MLAs, Kejriwal alleged that the BJP will try to topple the Jharkhand government in the next 15 days.
He also accused the Centre of waiving loans of billionaires but not that of students and farmers.
The present central government is the "most corrupt" one as they buy MLAs, he alleged.
Challenging the BJP to buy even one MLA of the AAP, Kejriwal said, "The confidence motion is to show that 'Operation Lotus' could have been successful in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and other states but failed here in Delhi. It is also to show that every AAP MLA is hardcore honest".
Kejriwal further charged that the BJP toppled Manipur, Bihar, Assam, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra governments.
At some places they even paid Rs 50 crore, he alleged.
"You say that you are against corruption but you are buying MLAs. This is the most corrupt (central) government. You will face the curse of poor people. In 15 days, they will try to topple the Jharkhand government and then petrol and diesel prices will go up," Kejriwal said.
He said the next time when petrol and diesel prices go up, people will understand where the money is going.
BJP MLAs marshalled out of House
Meanwhile, the Opposition BJP MLAs were on Monday marshalled out of the Delhi Assembly ahead of the confidence motion tabled by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
BJP MLAs were demanding a calling attention motion and a short discussion on various issues including the CVC report on constriction of classrooms, and excise policy 2021-22 among others.
BJP MLAs came to the well of the House after Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla rejected their demand for calling attention motion. She then asked them to leave the House for the entire day. They were subsequently marshalled out.
Kejriwal's allegations on BJP
In a blistering attack on the BJP, Kejriwal on Friday alleged that the opposition party's 'Operation Lotus' to topple his government failed as it could not poach any of the AAP MLAs.
The AAP national convener also alleged that the BJP had targeted 40 AAP MLAs and offered Rs 20 crore to each of them to switch sides.
"I want to bring a Motion of Confidence in the assembly so that it can be proved in front of the people of Delhi that the BJP's 'Operation Lotus Delhi' has become 'Operation Kichad'," Kejriwal had said.
The BJP's fight is not against corruption and its 'Operation Lotus' is a method of grabbing power by deceit, he had said.
BJP's backlash
The BJP, all of whose eight MLAs were marshalled out of the House for the day on Friday, hit back, accusing Kejriwal of using the assembly for fanning political propaganda and indulging in drama to divert people's attention from the liquor "scam" of his government.
BJP leaders alleged that Kejriwal has been making claims about alleged attempts to poach AAP MLAs since his party contested the Delhi Assembly elections in 2013.
The AAP has 62 MLAs in the 70-member Delhi Assembly, while the BJP has eight.
The AAP's claims about the BJP's alleged 'Operation Lotus' come amid the latter relentlessly targeting the ruling party in the wake of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged irregularities in the Delhi government's now-scrapped Excise Policy 2021-22.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the excise portfolio and is an accused in the FIR registered by the CBI, had also claimed that he was offered the chief minister's post by the BJP for switching sides.
Sisodia's residence and office at the Delhi Secretariat were raided by the CBI last week in connection with its probe into alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the excise policy.
(With inputs from PTI)
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