NEW DELHI:
In a startling turn of events, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reignited its controversial “Operation Lotus” in Delhi, as CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal has been put in jail, attempting to lure Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs in a bid to topple the government. During Monday’s assembly session, AAP MLA Shri Rituraj Jha made shocking revelations, alleging that BJP operatives approached him at a wedding ceremony, offering lucrative incentives and a staggering bribe of ₹25 crores per MLA to defect.
Adding to the intrigue, Shri Rituraj Jha revealed being threatened on an internet call warning against disclosing the prior night’s conversation. Reacting to these allegations, MLA Shri Dilip Pandey accused the BJP of orchestrating baseless arrests and hinted at a sinister plot to impose President’s rule in Delhi, aiming to dismantle the AAP. In response, AAP has called for an impartial investigation into the matter, escalating tensions within the capital’s political landscape.
During the session of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, AAP MLA Shri Rituraj Jha said that on March 21, 2024, the country’s most popular CM, Shri Arvind Kejriwal, was arrested in a fake case. Based on false testimony from individuals like Sarath Reddy and Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy (MSR), four people were arrested. If arrests are to be made based solely on testimony, then when Prime Minister Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, it was clearly stated in the Sahara and Birla diaries how much money was given to him during his tenure as Chief Minister. He should have been in jail by now.
The AAP MLA Rituraj Govind said, “There have been discussions in the House several times before on how an Operation Lotus, under the guise of a political conspiracy, is attempting to crush the AAP government of Delhi. Operation Lotus is run by the same party throughout the country, its name is BJP. Whether it’s Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Goa, or any other state, this has been seen everywhere. Attempts have been made 3-4 times in Delhi as well. Our many colleagues have been contacted before. These people want to topple the government of Delhi.”
“Shri Arvind Kejriwal is the only leader in the country who has defeated PM Modi, sitting in Delhi, four times. First, he defeated him in 2013, 2015, and 2020, and then in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections in 2022,” he added.
Shri Rituraj Jha further added that now, BJP has once again started its despicable work in Delhi. Until now, there were only rumors of imposing President’s rule. “After the mega rally on Sunday, when I went to a wedding in Bawana’s Daryapur, three to four people (BJP operatives) took me aside and told me that they have been trying to convince me and inform me repeatedly over the phone. If I don’t agree, I won’t get anything. President’s rule is going to be imposed in Delhi. I should agree and bring 10 MLAs with me by breaking them.”
“We (BJP operatives) will give everyone ₹25 crores and make you a minister, when BJP forms its government in Delhi. You are a leader of Purvanchal, you have a lot of contacts, you are the best negotiator, talk to them on our (BJP) behalf and report to us. We already have contacts with many people. We will also give everyone ₹25 crores and make ministers from the Purvanchal quota in Delhi. When I asked them what makes them think that we will easily break away, they said, don’t be foolish. If you don’t agree, President’s rule will be imposed in Delhi and President’s rule will remain in Delhi until the situation arises for us to form a BJP government in Delhi,” the AAP MLA from Kirari affirmed.
Shri Rituraj Jha shared, “At 9:18 PM on Sunday night, the location of all those BJP leaders who were present where I was, will be revealed. After talking to them at night, at 9:14 AM the next morning, I received an internet call, where I was threatened that if I told anyone about the conversation we had last night, it wouldn’t be good for me. They called me several times later as well. These people are threatening me. When they felt that I might tell everyone about our conversation at night, they have been calling me via the internet since morning. They keep telling me repeatedly that it won’t be good for me if I open my mouth.”
During the session, MLA Shri Rituraj Jha got emotional while speaking. He said these people (BJP) have trapped our leader in false cases and are now intimidating us. “But we are not afraid. We may die, suffer, but we will never betray our leader Shri Arvind Kejriwal. They are saying that President’s rule will be imposed in Delhi. 2 crore people of Delhi have chosen our leader. We all want to work. Under this despicable politics, they took ₹60 crores from Sarath Reddy and falsely implicated CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal in a case. They committed fraud and now are running Operation Lotus in Delhi. This is the first time I have been contacted and I’m presenting this matter in the House with full evidence. It should be investigated,” he added.
The AAP MLA from Kirari further said, “Earlier we only heard that these people steal votes, but they were never caught. But then they were caught red-handed in the Chandigarh Mayoral Elections. Both, ‘Ranga-Billa’, are puppets of the rich. They run the government at the behest of the capitalists. Their theft has been caught in front of the country through electoral bonds. Today, it is evident to the country how they have taken money from several people including a gaming company, beef company, and alcohol mafia Sarath.”
“There is nothing left to be proven now. Wherever a party breaks, riots are incited, there is the hand of only one party. We stand with CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal till our last breath. He taught us to walk by holding our finger at the Ramlila Maidan. We had no standing in politics. I was the son of a small master, I used to do odd jobs. He taught us to walk by holding our fingers. We may die, but we will never betray our leader Shri Arvind Kejriwal,” MLA Shri Rituraj Jha concluded.
Meanwhile, Senior AAP Leader and MLA Shri Dilip Pandey, said that the recent revelations on the floor of the Delhi Legislative Assembly have once again made it clear that if the democracy of the country and the constitution written by Baba Saheb Ambedkar are in danger, it is only because of the BJP. The BJP has continuously destabilized the democratic electoral process by unconstitutionally and unethically purchasing legislators and MPs through Operation Lotus and exerting pressure on them through central agencies. “We have also seen in Delhi how at one time, the state president of the BJP tried to buy Delhi MLAs for ₹5 crores each. Even in the past few months, there have been many such incidents in Delhi. Attempts were made to break and buy the legislators of Punjab, which was exposed by the legislators of Punjab,” he added.
The Chief Whip of the assembly said that after the arrest of CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal, the BJP has once again made an unsuccessful attempt to break the MLAs of Delhi, exposing their anti-democratic and ugly face. MLAs are being approached in various ways and are being told that they (BJP) had foretold that the baseless arrest of Shri Arvind Kejriwal is imminent, but you (AAP leaders) screamed and kept saying that Shri Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest is baseless, but you couldn’t do anything. Finally, we have arrested CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal without any evidence and money trail.
“When we have arrested CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal without any evidence and money trail, we can catch you anytime, and now that he (BJP) has been arrested, we will push Delhi towards President’s rule and then we will break and finish the AAP. After that, when our government is formed in Delhi, if you come with us, you will get money. If you come with 10 people, we will give you ministerial positions and keep you in power,” he added.
“After giving all these temptations, the BJP forgot that the MLAs of the AAP are disciples of Bhagat Singh. We are true soldiers of Arvind Kejriwal. We will continue to fulfill the pledge we made to serve the people of Delhi until our last breath, under the guidance of Shri Arvind Kejriwal. Like Shri Arvind Kejriwal, all the MLAs of the AAP also say that no matter what, our lives are dedicated to serving the country,” MLA Shri Dilip Pandey concluded.
