Delhi BJP slams AAP over Shaheen Bagh

The Delhi BJP has lashed out at the Aam Admi Party after the latter accused it of "orchestrating" the Shaheen Bagh protests against the citizenship law. The confrontation between the two parties erupted after several Muslims from Shaheen Bagh, a centre of protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, joined the BJP on Sunday.

New Delhi: The Delhi BJP on Monday slammed the AAP for accusing it of "orchestrating" the Shaheen Bagh protests against the citizenship law.

The BJP said the ruling party in Delhi was "shocked" with the prospect of "losing" support among the Muslims.

The blame-game between the Aam Aadmi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi came up a day after several Muslims from Shaheen Bagh, a centre of protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, joined the BJP on Sunday.

The AAP on Monday alleged that the entire Shaheen Bagh protest was "scripted" by the BJP, whose leadership "dictated" each and every move of the agitators for electoral benefits in the Assembly polls earlier this year.

AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj alleged that the BJP's campaign for the Delhi election centred around the Shaheen Bagh protests and it was the only party that benefited from the controversy surrounding the agitation.

The AAP is "shocked" as its "votebank politics" is under threat with Muslims from a CAA protest area joining the BJP, Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta told reporters.

"AAP chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal kept mum when the Shaheen Bagh protest was on. His party councillor is the main accused in the Delhi riots and now his party leaders are accusing that the CAA protest was planned by us," Gupta said.

"They are shocked that Muslims are joining the BJP and, therefore, their votebank politics is under threat," he said.

Several Muslims from Shaheen Bagh joined the BJP at the office of the Delhi unit of the party on Suday.

Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar Chaudhary also slammed the ruling AAP, saying its leaders were "diverting" attention of the people from crises like the coronavirus pandemic and their financial problems because of the lockdown.

"Kejriwal and his party leaders should tell Delhi people how they were trying to help people during the pandemic instead of indulging in blame-game with the BJP over Shaheen Bagh," Chaudhary told reporters.

BJP leader Nighat Abbas, who was instrumental in joining of several Muslims from Shaheen Bagh to her party, despite getting their votes in the Assembly polls, "AAP leaders were scared as many Muslims from Shaheen Bagh joined the BJP".

The Delhi BJP chief claimed that the Muslims in the country had come to realise that CAA issue was "raised to scare them although it did not affect them".

"Kejriwal and his party should tell the people what they said when anti CAA protest was going on in Shaheen Bagh," Gupta said. "He and his party leaders did not say anything about it."

"Why are they telling lies now even after winning Assembly elections?" Gupta asked.

PTI