NEW DELHI: Amid political bickering over the excise policy case, Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi on Tuesday claimed that the ruling BJP at the Centre approached her with an offer to join the saffron party and warned that she would be arrested if she failed to do so. “BJP through one of my close aides approached me to join their party to save my political career and If I do not join the BJP then in the coming one month I will be arrested by ED,” Delhi Minister Atishi said in a press conference. 

Atishi revealed that the BJP will now target the next line of AAP leaders and will arrest her, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Durgesh Pathak and Raghav Chadha. The AAP leader further claimed that the BJP also threatened that her house would be raided by the central agencies and more AAP leaders would be arrested. “In the coming two months before the Lok Sabha elections, they will arrest 4 more AAP leaders – Saurabh Bharadwaj, Atishi, Durgesh Pathak and Raghav Chadha…,” Atish said during her press conference. 

#WATCH | Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi says, “In the coming two months before the Lok Sabha elections, they will arrest 4 more AAP leaders – Saurabh Bharadwaj, Atishi, Durgesh Pathak and Raghav Chadha…” pic.twitter.com/AZdfOrQG7S
— ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2024

“I have been told that soon there will be ED raids at our residence and then we will be taken into custody. The BJP is now targeting the next line of the leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party,” Atishi said. Atishi went on to say that the BJP expected the AAP to crumble after Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest but they got scared seeing the opposition parties coming together in the Ramlila Maidan on Sunday. “so now they want to target the next line of leadership.” 

“I want to tell the BJP that we will not be scared of you. We are the soldiers of Arvind Kejriwal. We are aides of Bhagat Singh. We will continue to save the Constitution and will work to give the people a better life under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal,” she said.

The Rouse Avenue Court sent the AAP supremo to judicial custody till April 15 in an alleged money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy case yesterday. Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate about the excise policy case. However, the AAP leaders sharpened their attacks soon after. In a post on X, Atishi said, “I will be doing an explosive expose at 10 am tomorrow.”

Arvind Kejriwal Arrest News LIVE: AAP Slams BJP

Atishi on March 23 claimed that a money trail was discovered in the BJP’s account. She then challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to “arrest” BJP national president JP Nadda. Atishi emphasized that, up to that point, no money trail had been found connected to any AAP leader. “In the so-called excise policy scam of Delhi, CBI and ED investigations have been going on for the past two years. In these two years, a question has come up again and again Where is the money trail? Where did the money go? No proceeds of crime were recovered from any leader, minister or worker of AAP,” Atishi said.

Additionally, she claimed that Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest was based solely on the testimony of one individual, Sharad Chandra Reddy. Atishi went on to disclose that Sarath Chandra Reddy had donated Rs 4.5 crore in bonds to the BJP, emphasizing that no illegal funds were discovered during the ED’s search at the Delhi Chief Minister’s residence.

LIVE: Kejriwal’s Arrest A ‘Lesson’ For Congress, Says Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, a key face of INDIA bloc’s alliance partner CPI(M), has said that the arrest of his Delhi counterpart and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal has turned out to be a lesson for the Congress. “When Manish Sisodia was arrested by ED, Congress back then complained for not arresting Kejriwal. They asked “Why are they not arrest Kejriwal? He was leading the scam.” This was Congress’ stand back then. That continued for a good time span. Now, they have changed their stands. I am not questioning Congress’ current stand, but they should have admitted that their stand was wrong back then,” Vijayan said.

LIVE: 4 Security Personnel To Guard Delhi CM, Kejriwal Allowed To Watch TV, Home-Cooked Food

Kejriwal, housed in Tihar’s jail No. 2, will be allowed to have home-cooked food as ordered by the court. He will also get to read books and watch Television. The Delhi CM will be under watch for 24 hours as a CCTV camera has also been installed in his cell. Kejriwal will also be guarded by four personnel round the clock in shifts. According to Tihar officials, an inmate starts his day with tea, biscuits and snacks including ‘dalia’ between 7 and 8 am. The lunch either has chapati or rice along with dal and one vegetable.

Delhi Excise Policy Case LIVE: BJP Alleges Power Struggle In AAP

On Monday, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Manoj Tiwari asserted that AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal has unveiled an internal power struggle within the party. Tiwari alleged that Kejriwal has implicated Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj by suggesting they were the individuals Vijay Nair reported to.

According to Tiwari, Kejriwal’s actions signify an internal power struggle within the AAP, as Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj are not stepping back from their pursuit of the Chief Minister post. Tiwari further alleges that Kejriwal’s motive is to clear the path for his wife to assume the role of Chief Minister, indicating a division within the party’s ranks.

Excise Policy Case Live: Delhi CM Lodged In Tihar

In the meantime, the Court instructed Tihar Jail authorities to permit Kejriwal to bring his prescribed medication and books. CM Kejriwal has been kept in Jail number 2. The court has mandated authorities to furnish one table and chair, a religious pendant, and a special dietary regimen as outlined by medical professionals, following the jail’s guidelines. Kejriwal, through his legal representatives, submitted a request seeking permission to bring along several books, including the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, and a book titled “How Prime Minister Decided” by Neerja Chaudhary.