New Delhi [India], December 30: Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched a sharp attack on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chief Arvind Kejriwal over his claims regarding the settlement of Rohingyas in Delhi. Puri accused Kejriwal of spreading lies, stating that repeating falsehoods only exposed the dishonesty behind them. He claimed that AAP had facilitated the settlement of Rohingyas in Delhi, providing them with free rations, water, electricity, and voter cards.
In a post on X, Hardeep Puri wrote, “Repeating lies won’t make them true; instead, they expose your dishonesty. The truth is, no Rohingya refugee has received EWS flats. Kejriwal’s MLA helped settle them in Delhi, giving them free rations, water, electricity, Rs 10,000 each, and creating voter cards. Everyone knows which party the Rohingyas might support. There is no one Kejriwal has not deceived.”
Puri further criticized Kejriwal’s continued support for Rohingyas, suggesting that it played with the nation’s security. His remarks came after Kejriwal demanded the arrest of Puri, accusing him and Home Minister Amit Shah of possessing data on the settlement of Rohingyas.
Earlier in the day, Kejriwal had claimed, “I request them to arrest Hardeep Singh Puri. He has all the data on where and how the Rohingyas have been settled.” This followed Kejriwal’s repeated allegations about the BJP’s involvement in the settlement of Rohingyas, accusing them of using the community for political gain.
Union Minister Hardeep Puri also dismissed AAP’s allegations about “Operation Lotus” in Delhi, which purportedly involves manipulating voters by deleting and adding names to the electoral rolls. Puri questioned the credibility of such claims, asserting that there was no way Rohingyas would ever vote for the BJP. He stated, “Do you think the Rohingyas, under any circumstances, will vote for the BJP? There is no chance of that.”
Puri further clarified that it was the AAP that had brought the Rohingyas into Delhi and settled them to create a potential vote bank. He also expressed support for cutting out these votes, saying it would benefit the democratic process.
In a broader critique of Kejriwal, Puri accused the AAP leader of misleading the public about welfare schemes like the Mahila Samman Yojana and Sanjeevani, claiming that these programs lacked proper budgetary provisions and cabinet approval.
The clash between the BJP and AAP escalated after Kejriwal accused the BJP of manipulating voter lists in the New Delhi constituency under the so-called “Operation Lotus.” Kejriwal alleged that since December 15, the BJP had been working to remove 5,000 names from the voter list while adding 7,500 new voters. He questioned why such manipulation was necessary if elections were to be held.
The ongoing war of words highlights the increasing political tensions surrounding the Delhi electoral landscape, with both parties accusing each other of engaging in underhanded tactics.