BJP MP from North-East Delhi and former Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari on Saturday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership of showing only pretentious respect toward the Purvanchal community.
He demanded that AAP clarify within 24 hours whether illegal votes of Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants in Delhi should be removed.
Addressing a press conference, Tiwari alleged that AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh have consistently disrespected the Purvanchal community and questioned their social identity. He challenged Kejriwal to take a clear stance on the issue.
“We raised this issue in Parliament, advocating for the detention and deportation of illegal infiltrators to their respective countries without resorting to violence,” Tiwari said.
He also accused Kejriwal of making derogatory remarks against the Purvanchal community.
He cited a 2019 statement in which the AAP chief allegedly said that Purvanchal residents travel to Delhi on Rs 500 tickets, avail free treatment worth Rs 5 lakh, and then return to their hometowns.
Tiwari criticized Kejriwal’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis, alleging that the Delhi government forced migrant workers onto buses to leave the city instead of providing them with food and protection.
He blamed Kejriwal’s alleged negligence for numerous COVID-era deaths and said relief was provided only after interventions by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Uttar Pradesh government.
He further alleged that the AAP government has failed to improve the living conditions of unauthorized colony residents, 70 per cent of whom belong to Purvanchal and Uttarakhand.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor also spoke during the press conference, highlighting Tiwari’s efforts to strengthen the Purvanchal community’s identity in Delhi.
Kapoor credited Tiwari with playing a key role in getting Chhath Puja declared a public holiday in the city, recognizing its significance for the Purvanchal community.