Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that no AAP MLAs defected.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday won a motion of trust that was tabled in the Delhi Assembly. A total of 54 of 62 AAP MLAs were present during voting.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that no AAP MLAs have defected. “Two MLAs are in jail, some unwell and some out of station,” he said.
The Delhi chief minister said that his government has a majority in the House but it needed to bring the motion of confidence because the BJP was “trying to poach party MLAs and topple his government”.
Kejriwal alleged that several MLAs have told how they were contacted and offered money to switch sides by the “BJP people”, reported PTI.
He asserted that the BJP thinks it can finish AAP by arresting him. “You may arrest me but how will you finish Kejriwal’s thoughts?” he asked.
While addressing the House, the Delhi chief minister pointed out that AAP is the biggest challenger to the BJP and that is why it is under attack from all sides.
“The way they (BJP) have attacked the AAP and arrested our ministers; people across the country are aware of this. They think that people are fool, but they are not. Now discussions are being held in parks and people are asking ‘does PM Modi want to crush Arvind Kejriwal’? Even children are asking this question because they have arrested so many of our ministers,” Kejriwal said, according to the news agency.
He alleged that BJP was obstructing the work of his government by wresting control over the Services department and the bureaucracy.
“They claim to be Ram bhakt but they stopped medicines for the poor people in our hospitals. Did Lord Ram ask for stopping medicines for the poor people?” he said, according to PTI.
The trust vote in the Delhi Assembly comes on a day when Kejriwal appeared via video conferencing before the Rouse Avenue Court following a complaint by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) over his alleged non-compliance with its summons.
Kejriwal, while appearing virtually, informed the court that he wanted to join the court proceedings physically but could not do so due to the confidence motion and budget sessions.
“Today, I wanted to come (to the court) but then the confidence motion came. Also, the budget session (of the assembly is ongoing. It will go on till March 1. So please give any date after that,” Kejriwal said.
