Delhi Civic Polls: AAP Trashes BJP’s Sting Op Charge On ‘Bribe-For Ticket’
The BJP Monday released a sting video purportedly shot by a former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) volunteer from north-west Delhi’s Rohini and alleged that AAP sold tickets for the election to Municipal Corporation of Delhi. AAP MLA Dilip Pandey rejected the sting video as “fake”.
The AAP and its chief Arvind Kejriwal are deeply involved in corruption, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged at a press conference here, playing the purported sting video.
Mr Patra alleged that the video was purportedly shot by former AAP volunteer Bindu. She was allegedly asked to pay a sum of Rs 80 lakh for an AAP ticket from the Rohini D ward, he alleged.
The video shows Ms Bindu purportedly discussing the payment with some purported AAP leaders, including its North West Delhi Lok Sabha incharge RR Pathania and Rohini Assembly constituency incharge coordinator Punit Goel, Mr Patra alleged.
AAP MLA Dilip Pandey said, “The fake sting operations that BJP is bringing to the fore everyday show that they are losing the elections very badly.”
Ms Bindu has alleged that AAP leaders “sold” tickets for MCD polls to rich people and neglected the party’s ground level volunteers.
Mr Patra claimed, “These leaders, including Pathania and Goel, have links with a five-member committee of the AAP that was associated with ticket distribution. AAP minister Gopal Rai, MLAs Durgesh Pathak, Saurabh Bhardwaj and Atishi as well as Adil Khan are its members,” he said.
Mr Patra also said the sting video revealed that 110 tickets of the AAP were reserved for distribution on the basis of a payment.
Responding to the allegations, Mr Goel said AAP’s tickets for MCD polls were much sought after. “There are many touts who got active. Touts got active but no tickets were given on the basis of money. The BJP did not do anything. The AAP is not BJP or Congress where tickets are distributed to those who pay money,” he said.
“The AAP sold tickets and I did this sting after much thought. This is not the doing of some leaders. They all are involved — from the bottom to the top. Nothing happened even after I complained to Durgesh Pathak,” she alleged.
BJP MLA from Rohini Vijender Gupta alleged that AAP leaders also sold tickets during the 2020 Assembly polls, and demanded an Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) probe.
Civic polls in Delhi are scheduled for December 4.