Punjab Police File Case After AAP Accuses BJP Of Bid To Poach Its MLAs

The AAP has accused the BJP of attempting to 'buy' 10 of its MLAs in Punjab by offering them Rs 25 crore each.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann

Source : PTI

Punjab Police filed a case on Wednesday following a complaint by the ruling AAP that the BJP was trying to poach its MLAs in an attempt to topple the Bhagwant Mann government, PTI reported. The AAP has accused the BJP of attempting to "buy" 10 of its MLAs by offering them Rs 25 crore each.

The case was filed after AAP leader and Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, along with other MLAs, submitted a complaint to Director General of Police of Punjab Gaurav Yadav.

An official spokesperson of the state police said, "Following a complaint filed by some MLAs of the state, the Punjab Police registered a first information report under Section 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Sections 171-B and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)."

"Police registered an FIR on prima facie basis and the investigation has been transferred to the Vigilance Bureau as per standard guidelines," the spokesperson further said.

Addressing a press conference earlier in the day, Cheema also claimed that one of the MLAs, Sheetal Angural, received death threats.

"He was told that if the evidence was presented, then he would be killed. We have proof of this also," Cheema said.

READ | Punjab: AAP Claims BJP Offered Rs 20-25 Crore To Its MLAs To Topple Bhagwant Mann Govt

In Delhi, AAP national convenor and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that BJP was planning "Operation Lotus" to poach MLAs from other parties in every state, either with the help of money or the fear of agencies such as the CBI and ED.

"We came to know that they (BJP) tried to buy MLAs in Punjab by offering them Rs 25 crore each. Ten of our MLAs were approached," PTI quoted Kejriwal as saying.

"They are buying MLAs and making governments fall, which is dangerous for democracy," the Delhi CM further said.

Kejriwal also took to Twitter and questioned the BJP's source of money to "buy" MLAs.

"After Delhi, these people (BJP) have now reached Punjab to buy our MLAs. Where are these thousands of crores of rupees coming from? They should understand -- we are not the Congress, no one can buy us. The way they are making elected governments fall one by one, this has become a very serious issue for the country and democracy," Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.

The Punjab BJP has called the allegations "baseless" and a "bundle of lies" and said AAP was trying to divert attention of people from its "failures".