Citing Dalit neglect, former minister, AAP MLA join BJP

Anshita Mehra

New Delhi, July 10

In a significant political development, former Delhi minister Raaj Kumar Anand and Chhatarpur MLA Kartar Singh Tanwar, along with other prominent leaders, joined the BJP today. The event took place in the presence of BJP national general secretary Arun Singh and Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva.

Anand joined the BJP along with his wife Veena, a former AAP MLA, and two other AAP leaders, including AAP councillor Umed Singh Phogat and AAP leader Ratnesh Gupta.

Arun Singh welcomed the new members by presenting them with party scarves, while Sachdeva greeted them with bouquets. Singh expressed his pride in the party’s expansion, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi receiving Russia’s highest honour. “Today is a day of double pride for us. On one hand, the BJP family has grown with new members, and on the other, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been awarded the highest honour in Russia,” he said.

Singh criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress, attributing their decline to alleged corruption and support for liquor mafias. “The people of Delhi have rejected both the Congress and the AAP because the Aam Aadmi Party supports liquor mafias,” Singh said.

He also highlighted issues under the Kejriwal administration, including incidents of misconduct and mismanagement. “Delhi has a Chief Minister whose residence saw an incident of misbehaviour with a female MP, so what can the people of Delhi expect from him?” he asked.

Sachdeva emphasised the significance of Anand and Tanwar’s entry into the BJP. “With the arrival of such colleagues, the BJP will not only become stronger in Delhi but will also get more support in our campaign against the corruption of the Kejriwal government,” he said. Sachdeva praised Tanwar for his integrity and dedication to public service.

Anand criticised the Kejriwal government for neglecting the development of Dalit children and wasting public funds. “Thousands of crores of rupees meant for the development of Dalit children were squandered. The Kejriwal government completely wasted the money of Dalit children for their politics,” Anand asserted. He lamented the lack of opportunities for Dalit youth, saying, “In the entire five years, not a single Dalit youth got a good job. Today, every Dalit youth in Delhi is asking where is their share of jobs?”

Tanwar highlighted the deterioration of Delhi under AAP’s governance. “In the last two years, Delhi has deteriorated and is fully involved in corruption. Today, the condition of Delhi is very bad; according to the government’s policy, we cannot do any work,” Tanwar said.