AAP’s Saurabh Bhardwaj claims: "Operation Lotus was launched to break you"

Delhi Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj on Thursday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that the BJP had offered money, security and posts to AAP MLAs in Punjab to switch sides and join the BJP. .

“I think what Arvind Kejriwal was saying earlier has come true today – Operation Lotus has been launched just to break AAP and topple our governments in Delhi and Punjab,” the AAP leader said.

Saurabh Bhardwaj also raised questions as to why AAP MLAs from Punjab, Jalandhar MP Sushil Kumar Rinku and Jalandhar West MLA Sheetal Angural joined hands with the BJP in Jalandhar, Punjab, where the party came fourth in the elections.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Bhardwaj said, “If BJP is in such a bad condition in Punjab, then why did it buy our MP (Sushil Kumar Rinku) and MLA (Sheetal Angural) yesterday? Our MLAs from Punjab told us yesterday “That MLAs in many states were offered money to switch sides and join BJP and were offered Y+ security and posts. They were also offered to contest Lok Sabha elections.”

“Sushil Kumar Rinku’s MP tenure has ended. Model code of conduct is in place. The only thing he can do now is contest elections. You can ask anyone for evaluation. BJP fourth in Jalandhar Will come.” Punjab. They can do whatever they want, but they will finish fourth. The question is why would an MP join the BJP to come fourth?” Bhardwaj said.

The AAP leader also said that three AAP MLAs from Punjab had held a press conference in which it was discussed that most of the AAP MLAs had received calls where they were lured to join the BJP.

“I think what Arvind Kejriwal was saying earlier has come true today – Operation Lotus has been launched just to break AAP and topple our governments in Delhi and Punjab. But we are proud of our MLAs that they have The matter was conveyed to the public by the party leadership and held a press conference,” Bhardwaj said.

Earlier on Wednesday, two Aam Aadmi Party MLAs from Punjab Sushil Kumar Rinku and Sheetal Angural joined BJP and met BJP national president JP Nadda at his residence.

Jalandhar MP Rinku and Jalandhar West MLA Angural met Nadda at the headquarters here soon after joining the BJP. Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar was also with him during the meeting.

Rinku said that he has taken this decision for the development of Jalandhar.

He said, “I have taken this decision for the development of Jalandhar. We will take Jalandhar forward. We will bring all the central government projects to Jalandhar.”

Rinku also alleged that no development work has been done by the AAP government in Punjab.

“No development work has been done in Punjab by the AAP government. On the other hand, I am impressed by the development work initiated by PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia also helped me a lot in the development work.” Have done in Jalandhar constituency,” Rinku said.

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said, “Congress and AAP are two sides of the same coin. Sushil Rinku joined the party today. He is AAP’s only Lok Sabha MP and he should be ashamed.”

Sheetal Angural issued a statement saying that she has resigned from all her responsibilities in AAP.

Despite being declared AAP candidate from Jalandhar, Rinku is joining BJP. He won the by-election in Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency in 2023 by a margin of 58,691 votes.

On Tuesday, Congress MP from Ludhiana Ravneet Bittu joined BJP. Bittu is the grandson of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, who was assassinated in a suicide bomb blast in Chandigarh in 1995.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Bittu defeated Simarjit Singh Bains of Lok Insaaf Party by 76,372 votes. In 2014, he defeated Harvinder Singh Phulka of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) by a margin of 19,709 votes.

Earlier this week, the BJP announced its decision to contest elections on its own in Punjab after breaking ties with its long-time ally Shiromani Akali Dal.

Operation Lotus refers to the “poaching” or “bribing” of MLAs and MPs from other parties by the BJP, often to form governments in states where they do not have a majority.

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