This is not the first time the allegations of selling MCD tickets have been labelled against AAP. Anti-Corruption Bureau last week arrested relative of an MLA for allegedly receiving bribes against ticket.
The allegations of corruptions in ticket distribution are perhaps in a denial mood to leave Aam Admi Party (AAP) ahead of MCD polls. As the video of an AAP MLA being thrashed by his own party workers allegedly for distributing MCD tickets against bribes surfaced online, Delhi BJP leaderships and poll machinery jumped into the controversy to make efficient use of it.
The video that was shared by different BJP leaders in their Twitter accounts shows AAP MLA Gulab Singh Yadav engaged in an altercation with a group of people- presumably the party workers. Following which he was allegedly manhandled and forced out of the office. Reportedly, he then took shelter at the police station.
Confirming the incident, Delhi Police in a statement said, “Information regarding the manhandling of MLA Gulab Singh was received today at around 8 pm. There was an altercation over the issue of ticket distribution, which resulted in the alleged manhandling of MLA Gulab Singh by some party workers. He has been medically examined and no external injury was found. Legal action is being taken as per the statement.”
The official twitter handle of BJP Delhi shared the video of the heated arguments and furthered its accusations that AAP is selling MCD tickets against huge amounts. The tweet says, “AAP MLA was beaten up! Aam Aadmi Party MLA Gulab Singh Yadav was thrashed by AAP workers on the charge of selling tickets. Kejriwal ji, this is how the number of all the corrupt MLAs of AAP will come.”
This is not the first time the allegations against AAP of selling the tickets for MCD polls bubbled out on the surface.
BJP yesterday released a sting operation purportedly done by one of the AAP’s former volunteers Bindu. In a press conference, the national spokesperson of BJP Sambit Patra while playing the video alleged that AAP has reserved 110 tickets of MCD for sell. He also said that the party and its chief Arvind Kejriwal are involved in massive corruptions.
According to Patra’s claims, in the video Bindu found discussing the payment of money with some purported AAP leaders including its North West Delhi Lok Sabha in-charge RR Pathania and Rohini Assembly constituency in-charge coordinator Punit Goel.
The BJP national spokesperson added, “These leaders including Pathania and Goel have links with a five-member committee of the AAP that was associated with ticket distribution. AAP minister Gopal Rai, MLAs Durgesh Pathak, Saurabh Bhardwaj and Atishi as well as Adil Khan are its members.”
According to PTI, Bindu who was asked to pay Rs. 80 lakhs for a ticket of Rohini D Ward said, “The AAP sold tickets and I did this sting after much thinking. This is not the doing of some leaders. They all are involved -- from the bottom to the top. Nothing happened even as I complaint to Durgesh Pathak about it.”
The AAP leaderships however have outrightly rejected the allegations. Senior leader and MLA Dilip Pandey said that BJP’s efforts to regularly bring up such ‘fake’ videos indicate that they are well aware of losing the election badly.
Last week, the issue of selling ticket again rocked the boats as Anti-Corruption Bureau entered the scene and arrested brother-in-law of AAP MLA Akhilesh Pati Tripathi who allegedly demanded Rs. 90 lakhs from Shobha Khari, an AAP worker who sought a ticket from ward number 69.
Shobha allegedly paid Rs. 35 lakhs to Akhilesh Tripathi and Rs. 20 lakhs to Wazipur MLA Rajesh Gupta. The rest of the amount was supposed to be paid after her name appears in the list. However, according to Khera’s complaint on the basis of which ACB arrested the alleged aides of Tripathi, even after payment her name didn’t come up in the list.
However, taking jibe at BJP, AAP leader and the deputy CM Manish Sisodia said “The Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi has understood that it is going to lose in the MCD elections and the Aam Aadmi Party is going to win with a thumping majority. So, it is obvious that the demand for an Aam Aadmi Party ticket was also very high.”
Referring to the fact that even after payment ticket was not given Sisodia added, “It is a matter of pride that even if someone is giving or taking money somewhere, tickets are not sold at this party.”
MCD will go to polls on December 1 and 4. The results will be declared on December 7.