Confidence motion to show no MLAs have gone anywhere, BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’ failed: Kejriwal

New Delhi: Addressing the Delhi Assembly on Monday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that he had called the confidence motion to show the people that no party MLAs were “bought” and the BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’ had failed to topple his government.

Ahead of the trust vote, Kejriwal said in a tweet: “The people of Delhi have unwavering faith in their elected government, which no conspiracy can shake.”

In his address, he alleged that the BJP had targeted 40 AAP MLAs and offered Rs 20 crore to each of them to switch sides.

“People have a misconception that inflation is rising naturally. Trillions of rupees are coming to them due to this inflation. They have few billionaire friends, they took loans from banks, then their intentions got spoiled. They have money, can repay the loan, but did not. Then asked them to forgive our debts. It has been said in Parliament by the Central government that loans worth 10 lakh crores have been waived,” said the Chief Minister.

“They are taking taxes from public and putting them in the pockets of their billionaire friends. Oil prices have come down all over the world, but it has risen in India. All this money goes to Operation Lotus. In different states, by intimidating MLAs, they buy and form governments.”

He further said that 12 AAP MLAs were told to take Rs. 20 crore and join the BJP while the latter target was 40.

“But the MLAs of Delhi are honest, their (BJP) ‘Operation Lotus’ has failed,” he said adding that they toppled the governments of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, and in a few days they will also topple the government of Jharkhand.

“If the government of Jharkhand falls, then the prices of petrol and diesel will definitely increase. The most corrupt government in 75 years of independence is today’s Central government. They say that I am fighting against corruption, while openly buying MLAs,” Kejriwal alleged.

“In the last 15 days, they made a gimmick of corruption in liquor policy. Now the talk of liquor is over, nothing came out in the case, they have started new discussion of additional classrooms construction,” he said.

“This trust vote is needed because it has to show that every AAP MLA is honest. The confidence motion will prove that not a single MLA was sold. I present the motion that this House expresses confidence in the Council of Ministers.”

Kejriwal had announced the confidence motion on August 26 amid a political blame game between the AAP and BJP over the Delhi government’s excise policy and the alleged offer from the saffron party to destabilize the Delhi government.

AAP has been alleging that the BJP was luring party MLAs to topple the Kejriwal government.

-IANS