New Delhi, Aug 24 (Bureau) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) offered Rs. 20 crore each to four of its MLAs in Delhi to break away from the party and join the BJP. AAP MP Sanjay Singh told the media that the MLAs were threatened with investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate if they do not join the BJP. Singh said Ajay Dutt, Sanjeev Jha, Somnath Bharati and Kuldeep were approached by BJP leaders whom they knew. “They tried to threaten (Deputy Chief Minister) Manish Sisodia and have now started using the same trick on Delhi MLAs. They are trying to break away MLAs, they are being threatened with a probe by investigative agencies,” Singh said.
The four MLAs were present at the press conference. “BJP leaders who are friendly with them made an offer of Rs. 20 crore for joining the AAP and also said that if they don’t join, CBI and ED probes will be launched against them,” said Singh. “The experiment that succeeded on (now Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath) Shinde failed on Sisodia and our MLAs. They said you will get Rs. 20 crore if you leave the party, Rs. 25 crore if you break away more MLAs… They also claimed 20-25 MLAs are in touch with them,” he said. Sisodia meanwhile tweeted that after failing in making him leave the party, the BJP was now trying to influence AAP MLAs. “BJP should stop. The soldiers of Arvind Kejriwalji are followers of Bhagat Singh. They will give their lives but will not betray him. Your CBI and ED are useless,” he said. Earlier this week, Sisodia alleged that he received a message from the BJP that all cases against him would be closed if he joined the BJP. Sisodia was raided by the CBI on August 19 in a case related to alleged irregularities in Delhi’s liquor policy. The new excise policy has since been withdrawn by the Delhi government.