Amid speculation over his potential arrest, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal initiated a trust vote in the Assembly today. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief’s troubles heightened after the issuance of a sixth summons on Wednesday in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.
Discussion on the motion is slated for tomorrow, coinciding with Kejriwal”s scheduled court appearance to account for his absence during the previous five summons by the Enforcement Directorate.
Presenting the vote of confidence motion, Kejriwal disclosed that two AAP MLAs had confided in him about being approached by BJP members, who claimed that the Delhi chief minister would be arrested soon. They were allegedly offered significant sums of money for defection. Kejriwal asserted that this was aimed at destabilising his government in the national capital.
“The MLAs were told that 21 AAP legislators have agreed to leave the party and more are in touch with the BJP. They offered the MLAs Rs 25 crore to join the BJP. The MLAs told me they did not accept. When we spoke to other MLAs, we found that they had not contacted 21, but seven. They were trying to carry out another Operation Lotus,” Kejriwal alleged.
Kejriwal said that the ongoing controversy surrounding the liquor policy was a concerted effort to dismantle the AAP and seize power.
“So it is clear that the alleged liquor policy scam is not a scam at all but an attempt to break our party and topple the government by filing false cases like they have in other states. Their aim is not to carry out an investigation but to arrest our leaders – and they have already arrested some – in the guise of the liquor policy case. Their aim is to topple the government because they know they can never win elections in Delhi,” the AAP leader said.
Arvind Kejriwal and his colleague and Delhi minister Atishi have been served notices by the crime branch regarding their accusations of BJP”s attempts to lure AAP MLAs.
Kejriwal emphasised the resilience of his party and thanked the people of Delhi for trusting him. “In order to see for ourselves and show the people that not one of our MLAs defected and all of them are with us, I am presenting a motion of confidence.”
With 62 MLAs in the 70-member Assembly, the Aam Aadmi Party holds a substantial majority, while the BJP has only eight seats. This impending trust vote marks the party”s second within two years. The AAP chief had tabled and won a similar motion in 2022 amid allegations of BJP”s “Operation Lotus”.
The Delhi liquor policy, introduced in November 2021 and subsequently recalled in September 2022 due to alleged improprieties, continues to be at the center of investigations.
Allegations by the CBI regarding the involvement of liquor companies in shaping the excise policy and subsequent kickbacks, as well as the Enforcement Directorate”s assertions of money laundering, further compound the complexity of the case.
