In wake of the 'Operation Lotus' controversy, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday tabled a confidence motion in the Delhi Assembly with the aim of proving his majority. Accusing the BJP of unsuccessfully trying to topple the AAP government in Delhi by poaching MLAs, Kejriwal on Monday said that the BJP will next try to target the Jharkhand government in the next 15 days. Kejriwal, in previous tweets, has alleged that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raids targeting Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia were part of “Operation Lotus”. The accusations came following the overnight change of government in Maharashtra after the Uddhav Thackeray government was toppled by the Eknath Shinde faction with support from the BJP. While the charges have been refuted by the BJP, AAP has kept up the heat with Kejriwal's 'Agnipareeksha' on Monday.
Kejriwal's show of strength
Maintaining that the BJP's 'Operation Lotus' to topple his government failed as it could not poach any of the AAP MLAs, Kejriwal on Monday conducted a floor test to prove his majority and claimed that 'Operation Lotus' could have been successful in other states but failed here as all AAP MLAs were "hardcore honest".
Challenging the BJP to buy even one MLA of the AAP, Kejriwal said, "The confidence motion is to show that 'Operation Lotus' could have been successful in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and other states but failed here in Delhi. It is also to show that every AAP MLA is hardcore honest".
Kejriwal further charged that the BJP toppled Manipur, Bihar, Assam, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra governments.
AAP-BJP Faceoff
In a blistering attack on the central government, Kejriwal on Monday accused the party of being a predator on the prowl. In recent days, Kejriwal has upped the attacks and accusations against the BJP. AAP, which has 62 MLAs in the 70-member Delhi Assembly, has also raised the corruption bid against BJP, with Kejriwal on Monday accusing the government of being the "most corrupt" one as they buy MLAs. He also accused the Centre of waiving loans of billionaires but not that of students and farmers.
The BJP, which currently has eight seats in the Delhi Assembly, has accused Kejriwal of using the assembly for fanning political propaganda and indulging in drama to divert people's attention from the liquor "scam" of his government, in which the BJP claims Sisodia is the "accused number one".
On the first day of a special session of the Delhi assembly last week, Kejriwal said that 12 AAP MLAs had reported poaching attempts to him. AAP has claimed that the MLAs were offered Rs 20 crore to each to switch over to BJP.
A special session of the assembly session was convened by AAP against the backdrop of CBI raids on Sisodia in connection with the Union territory’s now-scrapped 2021-22 excise policy that led the AAP to renew accusations of Operation Lotus. Kejriwal has also accused the BJP of using the Enforcement Directorate and CBI against AAP leaders in a bid to weaken the government. Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain is currently under investigation from the ED.
(With inputs from PTI)
