The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government called for a special session of Delhi Assembly on Friday amid a face-off with BJP over charges that the saffron party was trying to lure its MLAs, PTI reported. Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of making efforts to topple the Delhi government "by hook or by crook", Kejriwal called a meeting of all AAP MLAs on Thursday at 11 am to decide the party's strategy.
The decision to summon the MLAs was taken at a meeting of the party's political affairs committee.
The Assembly session is scheduled to be held from 11 am on August 26, according to a document issued by the Delhi Assembly.
Speaking to media after the meeting, which was presided by Arvind Kejriwal, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said none of the party MLAs would jump ship and join the BJP.
READ | BJP Offered Rs 20 Cr Each To Four AAP MLAs To Switch Sides: Sanjay Singh
"AAP's political affairs committee condemned BJP's effort to topple Arvind Kejriwal govt in Delhi. We want to assure Delhiites that Arvind Kejriwal govt is stable, none of our MLAs will defect to BJP," PTI quoted AAP leader Sanjay Singh as saying.
Sanjay Singh also asked the BJP to tell the nation from where it had accumulated money to offer crores to legislators of other parties.
The remarks came after Singh, earlier in the day, alleged that the BJP approached four AAP MLAs -- Ajay Dutt, Sanjeev Jha, Somnath Bharati and Kuldeep Kumar -- with an offer of Rs 20 crore to join the saffron party.
"They (the four AAP legislators) have been offered Rs 20 crore each if they join the BJP and Rs 25 crore if they bring other MLAs along with them," AAP national spokesperson Sanjay Singh said.
"They (BJP leaders) told our MLAs that if they do not accept the offer and join the BJP, they will also have to face false cases, the CBI and the ED, like (Delhi Deputy Chief Minister) Manish Sisodia is facing," he further said.
Earlier this week, Manish Sisodia had claimed that he was offered the chief minister's post in Delhi by the BJP. The BJP also promised to withdraw the CBI and ED cases against him if he quit the party, Sisodia had said.
Sisodia made the remarks after the CBI conducted raids at his residence in Delhi on Augist 19 over alleged irregularities in the 2021-22 excise policy.
The ED has also registered a money laundering case against the Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and others after taking cognisance of a CBI FIR that has named Sisodia and 14 others.
The BJP, while rubbishing the allegations, alleged that the Delhi government ignored recommendations of an expert panel set up to reform liquor trade in the national capital and gave licences to companies that paid "hefty commissions" to the AAP.
(With PTI inputs)