The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday alleged the BJP of threatening to demolish shops and houses using bulldozers if their owners do not pay them bribes, which led the saffron party to warn AAP of legal action.
Calling the allegations “baseless”, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor challenged AAP spokespersons Saurabh Bhardwaj and Atishi to bring before the media at least one residents’ welfare association that claimed that a BJP councillor has demanded money from it. But if AAP leaders fail to do so, they should withdraw their allegations or be prepared to face legal action, Mr. Kapoor added.
Mr. Kapoor said, “It seems AAP leaders are getting complaints of extortion by their own councillors but due to political bias, they are alleging that the BJP councillors are trying to extort,” Mr. Kapoor said.
Earlier in the day, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal said his party has received several complaints from citizens about threats of demolition from the BJP, adding that people will not tolerate this “blatant extortion and hooliganism.”
Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia alleged that people are being “blackmailed and harassed” by people affiliated with the BJP and wrote a letter to AAP MLAs, urging them to stand by people facing “hooliganism“ by the “BJP goons” and report any such activities to the police. He said as the BJP prepares to leave the municipal corporation, it has decided to extort as much money as it can.
“It is not difficult for them to find any shortcomings in any house or shop built in Delhi. In almost all the houses, the municipal corporation will flag minor mistakes, whether it is about the size of someone’s balcony or a matter on covering the balcony, making an extra room or any civil work done in a shop. BJP has started extortion all over Delhi by threatening people with bulldozer action,” Mr. Sisodia added.
‘AAP is scared’
Responding to the letter, Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta said that ever since bulldozers started demolishing alleged encroachments in north Delhi, Mr. Kejriwal and other AAP leaders have started losing their mental balance.
“Giving shelter to Rohingyas and Bangladeshis, they got scared after they were exposed and that’s why Manish Sisodia has asked his MLAs to be alert,” Mr. Gupta said.
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