Chandigarh: The ruling AAP on Thursday slammed the Punjab Congress saying its silence over the alleged attempts of poaching of MLAs by the BJP in the state shows it is the "B-team" of the saffron party.
Addressing the media here, AAP leader and Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said it is very surprising that the Congress, whose eight MLAs joined the BJP in Goa, did not speak against the BJP when the 'Operation Lotus' was exposed by the AAP and chose instead to seek proofs of the allegation.
The ruling party had earlier said that at least 10 of its MLAs were approached by the BJP with an offer of Rs 25 crore to each of them in a bid to topple the state government. None of the Punjab Congress leaders dared to question the BJP but they asked us for proof of BJP's poaching attempts even when it is happening with their party in Goa and other states.
Still, the Congress is supporting BJP and the silence of Congress leaders in Punjab exposes their alliances with BJP. It is the B-team of the BJP, Cheema alleged. Cheema said it's because the Congress president Sonia Gandhi is facing an ED probe, the party was afraid of uttering anything against the BJP.
Not even a single sentence was spoken by the Punjab Congress leaders against the BJP for its attempts of murdering democracy, he alleged. Lashing out at the Shiromani Akali Dal, Cheema said the former ally of the BJP again wants to enter into a tie-up with it and for this very reason the Akali leaders are corroborating BJP's statements.
Even they did not object to BJP's nefarious tactics of trying to topple the AAP government, he alleged. He said that it was the AAP which demolished the 'Operation Lotus' in Delhi and Punjab by thwarting its poaching attempts. Asked who approached the MLAs, Cheema said an FIR has been lodged and the investigation is underway.
Investigation can be affected if we reveal anybody's name at this stage, he said. When he was asked about the BJP delegation seeking a probe by a sitting judge of the high court in AAP's accusation, Cheema said he too has demanded a probe by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court in the matter, and the investigation should also involve defections that took place in the country since 2014. (PTI)
