AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday claimed that the BJP may declare former MP Pravesh Verma as its chief minister face for Delhi. Kejriwal's statement comes hours after Delhi CM Atishi claimed that Pravesh Verma was caught distributing money in the New Delhi constituency.
Earlier today, Atishi claimed the BJP was distributing money to people by checking their voter cards in the New Delhi assembly constituency from where Arvind Kejriwal contests elections. "Today, Parvesh Verma was caught distributing money at his official residence which he got as an MP. Women from different slums of different areas of the New Delhi assembly constituency were called there and were given Rs 1,100 in an envelope."
Atishi further claimed: "I want to tell ED and CBI that cash worth crores of rupees is still lying at Parvesh Verma's house, you go now. I want to tell the Election Commission to get ED and Delhi Police to raid Pravesh Verma's official residence and arrest him right now."
The chief minister said that the BJP is trying to win the lost election. "We will officially complain about this to the police and Election Commission. The pamphlet with which money is being distributed also has pictures of PM Modi and JP Nadda." Reacting to the charges, BJP's Parvesh Verma said that his father had founded the Rashtriya Swabhiman Sansthan, which helps the poor people. He said that he was helping women with his accounted money. "I am happy about one thing: at least I am not distributing liquor, which the Chief Minister of Delhi (Arvind Kejriwal) was distributing all over Delhi," Verma said.
"Rashtriya Swabhiman Sansthan was started by my father around 25 years ago. Today, I am feeling very good that Atishi ji and Kejriwal ji are appreciating the work that we are doing. I have been seeing the misery of women here, which Kejriwal ji could not see in the last 11 years. When I met them, they told me that neither they have a pension, nor they have a ration card, there is no job, and there is no facility for medicine."
"I decided that every month, on behalf of my organisation, we would make a scheme and help them on a monthly basis. I am happy about one thing that atleast I am not distributing liquor here, which the Chief Minister of Delhi was distributing all over Delhi."
AAP's Sanjay Singh also said that thousands of rupees were being distributed openly in Arvind Kejriwal's area under the nose of the Election Commission and the potential candidate from that area, Parvesh Verma, was distributing this money. "There are still crores of rupees in his house. What is ED and CBI doing? We demand that his house be seized and the matter be investigated."
Delhi Assembly LoP Vijender Gupta slammed Kejriwal, saying the latter was losing the Delhi Assembly elections and that's why he was frustrated. "Why he is not complaining to the Election Commission about this? I challenge him to complain about this to the Election Commission. He will not file a complaint but will only spread lies."
Earlier, it was reported that the BJP may field Verma against Kejriwal in New Delhi.