PM Modi's focus on bringing down state governments, alleges AAP's Atishi

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Atishi on Thursday lambasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not addressing ”big problems” in the country like inflation and instead focusing on bringing down state governments.

The AAP alleged on Thursday that 40 of its Delhi MLAs were targeted by the BJP with an offer of Rs 20 crore each to switch sides, even as all the 62 of its legislators were accounted for during a meeting at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence here.

Addressing a press conference after the MLAs’ meeting, Atishi, who is AAP’s political affairs committee member, said an attempt is being made to bring down the AAP government in Delhi by levelling all kinds of false allegations and making all kinds of false cases.

”India is going through a crisis. There are many big problems in front of India. The biggest crisis in front of India is inflation. Today inflation is at its peak. Today poverty is at its peak. This country has never seen so much unemployment,” she said. ”But it is very sad that Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not have time to solve big problems. Instead, PM Modi’s entire energy and hardwork are focused on how to bring down state governments,” she added. Atishi said different central agencies are being used to topple the different state governments and false allegations are levelled against the opposition leaders.

”Then CBI and ED raids are conducted. And then BJP offers money to those leaders who are charged by the agencies. In past few days, Delhi is also witnessing the same. By making all kinds of false allegations and making all kinds of false cases, an attempt is being made to bring down the AAP government in Delhi,” she claimed. The meeting of MLAs that concluded within minutes was physically attended by 53 MLAs, including Kejriwal. Seven MLAs were out of station while minister Satyendar Jain is in jail, AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said.

Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan had joined the meeting over the phone, he added.

All the AAP MLAs, led by Kejriwal, reached Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial at Rajghat after the meeting to pray for the failure of the BJP ”Operation Lotus”.

Ahead of the meeting, sources in the AAP had claimed that 12 MLAs were incommunicado for a couple of days while hoping that they would join Thursday’s deliberations at Kejriwal’s residence.