Former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi accuses BJP of reopening fabricated cases against AAP leaders, calling it a desperate response to AAP’s rising influence in Gujarat after its Visavadar bypoll victory.
New Delhi [India], July 19: Former Delhi Chief Minister and senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of reviving its political vendetta by misusing central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). She claimed this comes after BJP’s humiliating defeat in the Visavadar bypoll in Gujarat, despite using its “money, muscle, and entire state machinery.”
According to an AAP statement issued on Friday, Atishi alleged that the BJP, unable to find a single case of corruption against AAP despite years of relentless raids, is now fabricating cases against its leaders. She emphasized that AAP’s surging popularity is exposing BJP’s declining hold in Gujarat.
Addressing a press conference, Atishi, who is also the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Delhi Assembly, said, “The BJP has once again resumed its blatant misuse of central investigative agencies. The cycle of fake cases is back in motion. Even after the Supreme Court made a scathing observation against the BJP for misusing ED and CBI, stating these agencies are not independent and are being used with malicious intent, the BJP has restarted its political vendetta.”
She linked the renewed ED cases against AAP leaders to BJP’s defeat in the Visavadar by-election, saying, “Why are ED cases being reopened against Aam Aadmi Party leaders now? The real reason lies in the Visavadar by-election in Gujarat. The BJP tried everything possible to defeat AAP in that seat, from spending enormous sums of money to distributing alcohol under police protection in a dry state.”
“Our workers were intimidated, threatened, and attempts were made to compromise with them and even with our candidate. The entire administration was abused, and all the BJP ministers and MLAs were deployed on that one seat. Yet, the Aam Aadmi Party won the by-election by a massive margin,” she asserted.
Highlighting AAP’s growing foothold in Gujarat, Atishi stated, “After Gopal Italia’s victory, AAP’s popularity in Gujarat is surging because people have seen the devastation the BJP has caused over the last 30 years. Surat was submerged in water for days. Businesses came to a standstill. Schools are crumbling. Hospitals are in shambles. Roads are broken. Gujarat now sees hope in AAP.”
Challenging the ruling party, Atishi added, “Investigate all our work as much as you want. You will find no trace of corruption, and neither will AAP leaders be scared or silenced. In the upcoming Gujarat elections, it will be AAP that defeats the BJP and forms the government.”