BJP attacks AAP again, this time with a 'sting' video
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday released a sting video of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), accusing it of corruption. In it, AAP leaders Puneet Goyal and RR Pathania are purportedly heard demanding money for a Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) election ticket from a volunteer—Bindu Shriram—from Ward No. 54, Rohini D. BJP National Spokesperson Sambit Patra termed it "mother of all stings."
Why does this story matter?
Out of the MCD's 250 redrawn municipal wards, 50% of seats are reserved for female candidates, and 42 are reserved for the Schedule Castes (SCs). The BJP is pushing to retain its power over the MCD, which the party has held since 2007. Meanwhile, the AAP has accused the BJP of unduly interfering in executing development works in the MCD's jurisdiction.
What did BJP spokesperson Patra claim?
Patra alleged the AAP leaders demanded Rs. 80 lakh from Bindu. She first paid Rs. 21 lakh and was instructed by Goyal to make the "full payment" before receiving the ticket. Goyal, according to Patra, is a close aide of Delhi Minister Gopal Rai, while another person seen in the video—Dinesh Shroff—is close to Rajya Sabha MP and AAP's Haryana in-charge Sushil Gupta.
Patra's dig at Arvind Kejriwal's anti-corruption pledge
"AAP is a party which claimed that its mission was to fight corruption. They said if you want to expose corruption, then you should do sting and record videos on your phone. Slowly it came out that AAP is maha thug," Patra said, criticizing the Arvind Kejriwal-led party. The sting video comes days after the BJP accused another AAP leader Mukesh Goyal of corruption.
Watch: BJP press conference over AAP sting video
AAP MLA linked to graft case
Last week, AAP's Delhi MLA Akhilesh Pati Tripathi was also linked to a cash-for-a-ticket case related to the Delhi civic body elections next month. The Delhi Police's Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) had arrested three people for taking a bribe from a man on Tripathi's behalf to make his wife a party candidate in the MCD elections scheduled for December 4.
BJP wants to stop free power supply in Delhi, Kejriwal had alleged
Separately, on Sunday, Delhi CM Kejriwal leveled a serious allegation against the BJP regarding Delhi's free electricity scheme. He claimed the BJP wants to stop the free power supply in Delhi. However, he said the party wouldn't succeed in doing so till he's the CM.
