AAP again accuses BJP of trying to destabilise Delhi Govt

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the BJP of trying to destabilise the Arvind Kejriwal-led government in Delhi even as an emergency meeting called by the chief minister elicited a headcount of 53 of 62 MLAs and the remaining nine assuring the party of their support.

The day began with uneasy moments for AAP as there were rumours that several MLAs of the party were untraceable ahead of the meeting called by Kejriwal at his residence at 11 am. However, 53 MLAs attended the meeting and AAP sought to explain the absence of nine MLAs.

Speaking after the meeting, AAP spokesman Saurabh Bharadwaj said, "Operation Lotus of BJP has failed in Delhi. All the MLAs attended the meeting and those who did not spoke over phone and assured the party of their loyalty. The assembly speaker is in Canada and since there is a time lag and it is night time, he could not answer his phone. Manish Sisodia ji was on stage in Himachal Pradesh."


Kejriwal spoke to the remaining seven MLAs over phone and put their calls on speaker for everyone to hear the conversation. These included Vinay Mishra, Shiv Charan Goel, Dinesh Mohaniya, Gulab Singh and Amanatullah Khan.

Bharadwaj said, "There were 12 MLAs who said openly they had been contacted by BJP and offered Rs 20 crore to switch sides and destabilise the Kejriwal government. But each pledged support to AAP till their last breath."

After the meeting, Kejriwal and his MLAs went in a large group to the Mahatma Gandhi memorial at Rajghat to "pray for saving the country from the BJP's Operation Lotus".