BJP tried to buy 11 Punjab AAP MLAs by offering Rs 25 crore each, even issued death threat to one, claims Harpal Cheema; names MLAs

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, September 14

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema, while reiterating the allegation against the BJP of trying to wean away the AAP MLAs in Punjab, on Wednesday named the 11 MLAs who were allegedly approached by the saffron party.

The MLAs are Dinesh Chadha, Raman Arora, Budh Ram, Kulwant Pandori, Narinder Kaur Bharaj, Rajnish Dahiya, Rupinder Singh Happy, Sheetal Angural, Manjit Singh Bilaspur, Labh Singh Ugoke and Baljinder Kaur.

Cheema, accompanied by Deputy Speaker Jai Kishan Rori, alleged that MLA Sheetal Angural was also given death threat, after he was seen in the press conference on Tuesday.

“He is not the only one. Some of the other MLAs were also issued death threats by the “agents of BJP”, he said.  As many as 35 MLAs had been approached and 10 of them had been issued death threats, he alleged.

They were offered Rs 25 crore in cash. Some of them were even threatened with the CBI and ED raids, Cheema alleged.

Cheema had levelled these allegations against the BJP on Tuesday, but had refused to take names of the MLAs approached by the BJP leaders.

He said the government would have to investigate as to how such a conspiracy could be hatched and so much money offered.

“Earlier in Delhi, the BJP had set aside Rs 800 crore for Operation Lotus, but they failed. In Goa, they have succeeded in weaning away eight MLAs. It is the strategy of the ruling party at the Centre to gain power,” he said.

He said the only party that could pose a challenge to the BJP is AAP, so the BJP is now after them. “But our MLAs are loyal and won’t break away,” he said.

Later, Aam Aadmi Party filed a complaint with Director General of Police, Punjab, against the BJP for trying to topple their government by offering money to its MLAs or issuing them threats.

Led by Punjab’s senior most minister Harpal Singh Cheema, 10 party MLAs and deputy Speaker of Punjab Vidhan Sabha, gave their written complaint to DGP Gaurav Yadav, this afternoon. They have submitted audio recordings of the calls received by the MLAs, as proof against the saffron party leaders, who approached them.

CM Mann says full faith in MLAs

Meanwhile, in a video message from Germany, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said BJP was hell bent on grabbing power in state. “If they are not chosen by the people, they devise other means to grab power. While I have full faith in my MLAs, I must remind the BJP that even Alexander was stopped by Punjabis,” he said in his message.