In response to the summons issued to senior AAP leader Atishi by a Delhi court in connection with a defamation case filed by Delhi BJP media head, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged a plot to arrest her.
The defamation case pertains to the allegation of the AAP leader that the BJP was trying to poach AAP MLAs under the alleged Operation Lotus.
Taking to the social media platform X, Kejriwal wrote, “I had said earlier that they will arrest Atishi next. They are planning to do so now. Complete dictatorship.”
Pointing out that his party leaders were being arrested one by one, he alleged if Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power again, every Opposition leader would be behind bars.
“In completely flimsy, frivolous and false cases, they are arresting ALL leaders of AAP one by one,” Kejriwal’s post on X reads.
“Every Opposition leader will be arrested if Modi ji comes back to power. AAP is not imp. Saving our dear country from dictatorship is imp,” he added.
Kejriwal’s remarks were followed by a news item about a summons issued to Atishi by a Delhi court. She has reportedly been summoned in the defamation case filed by Delhi BJP Media head Praveen Shankar Kapoor for leveling allegations against the saffron party of poaching AAP MLAs.
After a hearing on the matter, the court said there were sufficient grounds to summon Atishi under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code, hence the summons asking the Delhi minister to appear before it on June 29.
The court, however, has not issued a summons to Kejriwal, who is also an accused in the case against whom the defamation case has been filed.
Meanwhile, Atishi asked the BJP how it formed governments in states where it was not in the majority like Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh. She asked how the MLAs of other parties joined the BJP. She said they (the BJP) should answer how is it that every time leaders from other parties join it, the Central agencies file closure reports in the cases against them.
“Operation Lotus of the BJP is known to all. It is not the AAP but the saffron party needs to answer as to how they could form governments in those states where they are not in majority,” Atishi added.