Kejriwal served fresh notice

The Delhi Police Crime Branch on Sunday served a fresh notice on Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal, asking him to give information buttressing the allegation that the BJP was trying to poach AAP MLAs.

The notice dovetails another Crime Branch missive asking Kejriwal to reply within three days in a probe into his claim that the BJP had attempted to poach seven AAP MLAs. The Crime Branch had also served a notice on AAP leader and Finance Minister Atishi in the poaching claim case.

Kejriwal claimed the BJP had been trying to compel him and other AAP leaders to join the party and asserted they would not do so as they had done no wrong. The BJP dismissed his claim as an attempt to “distract and trick” the people of Delhi.

“They can hatch any conspiracy against us but nothing is going to happen. I am standing firm against them, and I am not going to bow down. They say, ‘come and join BJP and we will leave you alone’. But I will never join BJP. Why should we join BJP? If you join the BJP, all sins are forgiven,” Kejriwal said. The controversy stems from a claim made on January 27 by Kejriwal and Atishi that the BJP was trying to poach AAP MLAs by offering `25 crore each and a ticket for next year's Assembly elections.

Earlier in the day, a Crime Branch team arrived at Atishi’s doorstep to serve a notice in connection with her claim that the BJP was trying to wean away her party's MLAs through cash inducements and topple the government as part of 'Operation Lotus 2.0'. Atishi said the notice served on her by the city police does not have any mention of an FIR; nor does it include penal provisions.

The AAP leader said that they have sympathy for the Crime Branch officers who are being forced by their “political bosses” to indulge in such “theatrics”.