New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) As Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh’s “seat selling” allegation levelled against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders on Saturday launched a blistering attack on the AAP and its chief Arvind Kejriwal. Meanwhile, the Opposition INDIA bloc leaders hit out at the former cricketer, holding him “equally responsible”.
The controversy erupted after MP Harbhajan Singh asked the AAP that “when the time comes, he would reveal how many Punjab Rajya Sabha seats were sold”.
Reacting to Harbhajan Singh’s allegations against AAP, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam urged the Rajya Sabha MP to reveal the names of those AAP leaders who are involved in “selling” Rajya Sabha seats in exchange for money.
“He (Harbhajan Singh) should also reveal that Arvind Kejriwal sold the Rajya Sabha seats for how much money. The AAP leaders pretended to be honest but now their reality is being revealed,” Nirupam told IANS.
Referring to corruption allegations against Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh said: “It reflects that the party (AAP) is drowned in corruption where Rajya Sabha seats are being ‘sold’. So many leaders have left AAP because its real face of corruption and anti-nationalism has been revealed.”
Janata Dal-United spokesperson Neeraj Kumar added: “Now, regarding the allegations made by Harbhajan Singh, only he can provide the evidence for them. However, it is clearly visible that the foundation of the Aam Aadmi Party is weakening.”
However, Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Jha feels that MP Harbhajan Singh’s silence over the matter so far, makes him “equally responsible for the crime”.
“He (Singh) is not new to politics. He has been Rajya Sabha MP from 2022. That makes him equally responsible, ” Jha told IANS.
Echoing similar view, Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput said: “Harbhajan Singh should reveal that how much did he pay to buy a Rajya Sabha seat and after that in how much did he sell himself to the BJP?”
“On one hand AAP takes bribe to give Rajya Sabha seats, on the other BJP gives bribe to buy Rajya Sabha MPs. Both are two sides of the same coin,” he alleged.
Samajwadi Party (SP) spokesperson Ashutosh Verma echoed the same views, saying: “Did he (Singh) also buy the seat to go to the Rajya Sabha? Why didn’t he say anything during his time with the party?”
The SP leader also called Singh “equally responsible for the mess in AAP”.
“It also reflects that till he was reaping the benefits in the party (AAP) he remained quiet, and now is making allegations may be due to pressure from those in power,” he told IANS.
–IANS
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