Defamation suit filed against Kejriwal, Atishi over MLA poaching charges
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New Delhi: The BJP leader Praveen Shankar Kapoor filed a defamation case against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet minister Atishi for accusing the BJP of attempting to poach its MLAs, Scroll reported citing The Indian Express.
Praveen Shankar Kapoor’s charges stem from Kejriwal’s allegations on January 27 that the BJP had offered Rs 25 crore each to seven Aam Aadmi Party MLAs to quit the party.
The money, according to Kejriwal, was offered to unsettle and topple the AAP administration in Delhi.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Atishi also accused the BJP of launching ‘Operation Lotus 2.0’, adding that ‘They had made a similar attempt to poach AAP MLAs last year by offering them money but failed.’
Later on April 2, Atishi alleged that the BJP had ‘ asked her to join the party’ or face arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in one month.
Kapoor, who is the media head of BJP’s Delhi unit, in his complaint said that the allegations are “false and unsubstantiated”, Live Law reported.
Advocate Amit Tiwari, representing Kapoor, told the court that AAP leaders were ‘trying to portray that the BJP is trying to subvert the government by illegal means.’
Further Kapoor said that the AAP leaders play the victim card whenever Enforcement Directorate approach them, adding that the Aam Aadmi Party had “damaged the reputation of the BJP”. The court scheduled the matter for pre-summoning on May 4.