Rouse Avenue Courts on Tuesday issued summons to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi Minister Atishi in the criminal defamation case filed by Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) media head Praveen Shankar Kapoor over her claims that BJP had approached AAP leaders to join their party and offered Rs 20-30 crores for the same as bribe to defect.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Tanya Bamniyal of the Delhi court refused to simmon Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the case and said that no prima facie case was made against him.
BJP leader filed the criminal defamation suit against both Kejriwal and Atishi saying that every time the Enforcement Directorate (ED) approached the AAP leaders in connection with investigation in any case, they start blaiming BJP and make allegations that the party was trying to poach AAP MLAs.
The petition filed in court has accused tha AAP leaders of making false defamatory statements which they cannot substantiate with any material.
The petition was filed against a X post by Kejriwal in January and a press conference conducted by Atishi on April 2. The BJP leader alleges that AAP leaders make such statements to divert public attention from Delhi Liquor Policy case.
Kejriwal’s tweet had alleged that BJP contacted 7 AAP MLAs. It also alleged that BJP was offering Rs 25 crores to poach the MLAs and efforts were being made to bring down the Delhi government.
Atishi in a press conference on April 2 said that the BJP contacted a very close person to her and conveyed the message that if she does not join BJP, the ED will arrest her within a month. She alleged that BJP wants to arrest 4 AAP leaders before Lok Sabha elections. She further said that PM Narendra Modi and BJP wants to finish AAP.