Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Parvesh Verma dismissed allegations made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) regarding a purported attack on its national convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during a public meeting. Verma accused Kejriwal of fabricating a false security threat to divert attention from his alleged failures.
Verma, who is in a triangular contest with Kejriwal and Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit for the New Delhi assembly constituency, criticized Kejriwal’s claims.
Verma’s Allegations
Speaking to reporters, Verma said:
“It is now clear that Kejriwal is playing games with the public. Delhi Police provides full security, so why does he need extra protection from Punjab? This is nothing but a political stunt ahead of the elections.”
He further accused Kejriwal of scripting a drama to claim victimhood during the elections:
“Kejriwal is creating a false ‘security threat’ to divert attention from his growing failures. He is scripting this drama so that later he can claim, ‘I was attacked,’ and the election theatrics will begin!”
Kejriwal’s Allegation
On Thursday, Kejriwal alleged that opposition supporters entered his public meeting in Hari Nagar and attacked his car after Punjab Police withdrew additional security provided to him.
BJP’s Response
Verma accused Kejriwal of attempting to deflect attention from his unpopularity:
“Kejriwal is trying to cover up his increasing unpopularity and failures by raising a non-issue about security. His move is a strategic distraction, aimed at diverting the public’s attention from real issues. Soon, we will see posters saying ‘Why was I attacked?’ – this is nothing more than a desperate political manoeuvre.”
Delhi Assembly Elections
The Delhi Assembly elections will take place in a single phase on February 5, with vote counting scheduled for February 8. A total of 699 candidates are competing for 70 assembly seats.
The Congress, which ruled Delhi for 15 consecutive years, has struggled in recent elections, failing to win any seats. Meanwhile, the AAP dominated the 2015 and 2020 elections, securing 67 and 62 seats, respectively, while the BJP managed to win only three and eight seats in those elections.