The BJP on Sunday slammed AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleging he was seeking the support of the leaders he once branded corrupt, to cover up the "corruption of his government".
Six Delhi BJP MPs Meenakshi Lekhi, Harsh Vardhan, Manoj Tiwari, Ramesh Bidhuri, Pravesh Sahib Singh, and Hansraj Hans addressed a joint press conference here where they mounted a scathing attack on Kejriwal who met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav earlier on the day.
"There was a time when Arvind Kejriwal used to carry a list of the names of political leaders and considered them as symbols of corruption. But today he is ready to hug Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav," Tiwari said.
Kejriwal's priority is not to eliminate corruption, but to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said the BJP MP from Northeast Delhi. "He is ready to stoop to any level to save his empire of corruption."
After meeting Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav, Kejriwal said if a Bill to replace the ordinance issued by the BJP-led Centre on Delhi's Services matter is defeated in Rajya Sabha, a message will go across the country that the saffron party is going to lose Lok Sabha polls in 2024.
The ordinance brought by the Centre has effectively retained the control of the Lt Governor over the transfer and postings of bureaucrats of the Delhi government.
The Kejriwal government which was given executive control of the services matter by the Supreme Court in a verdict on May 11, has said the ordinance will be challenged in the court.
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Union Minister and New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi said the administrative and legal status of Delhi makes Delhi a Union Territory, but Kejriwal is not ready to accept it due to his "dictatorial attitude".
"The centre has the right to bring a necessary ordinance and that is the reason why the centre has brought it. But Kejriwal is disputing it because he fears exposure of his corruption," she alleged.
South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri said the present situation in Delhi is "hopeless". "Shockingly, just to oppose the BJP, Kejriwal is ready to take support of even those whom he called once corrupt".
Singer and Northwest Delhi MP Hansraj Hans said Kejriwal entered politics riding a storm against corruption.
"Today, however, he has turned just opposite to that and is gathering all the corrupt people so that he can hide his corruption," Hans said and rendered an impromptu line, "Wo bhola bhala chehra kis kadar badal gaya, jinko corrupt kahta tha unhi ke saath mil gaya" (he is hobnobbing with those once he called corrupt. What a drastic transformation.)
Kejriwal is also scheduled to meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former Maharashtra CM, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar in the coming days.
Pravesh Sahib Singh alleged the Kejriwal government was "threatening" officers because it fears being exposed by then.
Former Union minister and Chandni Chowk MP Harsh Vardhan said it seems Kejriwal is the only chief minister who has been having problems with the Lt Governors of Delhi.
"Earlier also there were Lt Governors and chief ministers with different ideologies but they worked together to carry forward works of development.
"There always used to be very good coordination between the chief ministers and Lieutenant Governors in Delhi. After Kejriwal came to power, lies and corruption have taken the place of development in Delhi.
"From 1947 till now, no leader has come to Delhi with such a bad attitude like Kejriwal," he charged.
Meanwhile, some Delhi BJP women leaders and workers led by Mahila Morcha president Yogita Singh reached Kejriwal's residence, carrying a "get well soon" message" and bouquets.
They were removed from there by police.
The AAP in a statement said the Supreme Court had restored Delhi's elected government's powers in services matters but BJP "nullified" the order in just eight days.
The Centre's Ordinance constituting the National Capital Civil Service Authority is "completely unconstitutional and undemocratic," said the party.
"The Aam Aadmi Party vehemently refutes the baseless claims made by the BJP regarding the transfer-posting matter in Delhi. It has become evident that the BJP is resorting to spreading falsehoods in a desperate attempt to deceive the public," read the statement.
During the tenure of the Sheila Dikshit government, the chief minister possessed complete authority over the transfer-posting of bureaucrats. However, immediately after the AAP assumed power in 2015, the Modi government, through a notification, "shamelessly snatched" away this authority from the elected government, it charged.
