'We Don't Have Vacancy...': Union Minister Puri Hits Back At Atishi For 'BJP Invited Me' Claim

To Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi’s ‘BJP offered me to jump ships’ charge on the Bharatiya Janata Party, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that the party has “no vacancies.”

Regarding the latest arrests of AAP leaders, including Delhi Chief Arvind Kejriwal, in a liquor policy case, Puri hit back by saying “At a time when the entire AAP is embroiled in the liquor scam, we will not create trouble for ourselves by accepting her in our party.”

“We do not have any vacancy for a political activist like Atishi…”, Puri said.

The senior BJP leader’s response came hours after the AAP leader, amid the ongoing Delhi Excise policy investigation, claimed that the BJP threatened her to join the saffron camp or the Enforcement Directorate would arrest her.

Earlier in the day, Atishi, at a press conference in the national capital, claimed that the BJP approached her through a “very close” person to join it or be prepared to be nabbed by the ED within a month. She also added that she, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, MLA Durgesh Pathak and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha would be arrested.

Atishi also alleged that she had been told that the Enforcement Directorate would conduct raids on her residence and that of her kin in the coming days. After that, the summons would be sent and arrests would be made, she claimed.

‘Political Stunt’: BJP Denies Atishi’s Claim

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva claimed that Atishi was “lying”. The entire Aam Aadmi Party was involved in the “liquor scam” and its leaders were fighting among themselves over the apprehension about who would be the next “sacrificial lamb”, he said.

Reacting to the AAP leaders’ remarks, the Delhi BJP chief said, “Since Kejriwal has stated that excise policy case accused and AAP leader Vijay Nair, who is in jail, used to report to Atishi and Bharadwaj, the AAP leaders are fighting among them. Atishi by saving her skin has led Chadha and Pathak in trouble.”

The Jharkhand BJP also termed as a ‘political stunt’ the claims of AAP leader and Delhi minister Atishi that the saffron camp approached her through a “very close” person to join it.

(With inputs from PTI)