Chandigarh: The BJP, which has manipulated Goa, Karnataka, MP and Maharashtra governments, has been accused by Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab cabinet and Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema of toppling the government in the state. He says that BJP is trying to buy MLAs of his party for Rs 25 crores each. BJP has earmarked a fund of Rs 1,375 crore for 52 AAP MLAs.
According to Cheema, offers worth Rs 25 crore each were made to 10 AAP MLAs within a week. Cheema cited the recordings he had for his claim, but on the question of the identity of the caller in the recording, he deferred it as the subject of investigation. Cheema said the names of the people who called the MLAs would be revealed soon after the probe.
Questions raised before AAP
1. The BJP’s support base in Punjab is far from the majority figure. While AAP is in power in Punjab with an absolute majority, the BJP has only 2 seats in its share. Even if the BJP joins 10 MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party, the majority figure of 52 is far away. Gujarat elections are near, so why would the BJP take such a risk?
2. In Maharashtra, BJP had a face like Eknath Shinde for change of power, due to which the Shiv Sena government fell, but in Punjab, BJP currently does not have any such face, with whom the majority figure can be touched and power can be switched.
3. On the lines of Operation Lotus in Delhi, BJP is accused of buying AAP MLAs through middlemen in Punjab, but instead of revealing the identity of the middlemen, AAP Minister Cheema is calling it a subject of investigation, which raises eyebrows on party’s claims.
4. Opposition saying that Bhagwant Mann government claims that all AAP MLAs are corruption free and honest, then why are they afraid of raids by CBI and ED? Because there are allegations of Cheema that the MLAs are being asked by the BJP to join the BJP by giving the threat of raids or to be ready for action.
Opposition parties call AAP a liar
1. BJP, Congress and other parties are calling the allegations of Aam Aadmi Party baseless and false by calling them only political drama. Punjab Congress President Warring said that if so why did AAP not reveal names and call for an investigation from independent agency.
2. BJP President Ashwini Sharma said that AAP is a government that got power by lying, which has been blown away within a few months. There is a debt of several thousand crores on the Punjab government, which is increasing now. This is the reason why Finance Minister Cheema is busy making baseless allegations by diverting people’s attention from the real issues.
3. The Aam Aadmi Party was accused of excise policy in Delhi. There have also been allegations of wrongdoing in Punjab. CBI has raided the house of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and other places related to him. This has also created panic among AAP MLAs. Now Cheema’s claim of having a recording is being considered by him as a false warning to AAP MLAs.