‘Operation Lotus fails in Delhi’

After Manish Sisodia claimed that he rejected ‘BJP’s offer’ to split Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in lieu of CM post, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday took a dig at the saffron party saying that the operation lotus failed in Delhi.

The Delhi’s deputy CM claimed that the BJP was trying to lure him by offering the post of chief minister, but he clearly rejected the offer and said that he did not enter politics for posts, “but to bring about a change. The BJP refuted the allegation saying the AAP has been in the habit of leveling farce allegations.

Kejriwal – in response to Sisodia’s claims – tweeted: “Operation Lotus has failed in Delhi”. Lotus is the party symbol of the BJP, and the term – Operation Lotus – has been used by the opposition parties for accusing the BJP of attempts to topple the elected governments.

On Monday morning, in a stunning tweet Sisodia said, “I have got the BJP’s message – split AAP and join BJP, will get all CBI ED cases closed. My reply to BJP – I am a Rajput, a descendant of Maharana Pratap. I will cut off my head but will not bow down in front of the corrupt-conspirators. All the cases against me are false. Do whatever you want to do.”

Reacting to the tweet, BJP leader Parvesh Verma said, “Manish Sisodia should do ‘pranayama’ every morning. Has he consumed bhang [cannabis]? He should tell the name of the person who asked him to join the BJP. Even if he rubs his nose on the floor, BJP will not take him.”

BJP’s Gaurav Bhatia alleged that the silence of Arvind Kejriwal on corruption charges in excise policy proved that he was ‘hardcore dishonest’, and gave him 24 hours to answer questions in connection with the case, according to a Hindustan Times report.

The newspaper reported that Kejriwal – along with Sisodia- reached Gujarat in the afternoon to address an event where the Delhi CM said that the party had failed the state in its 27 years of rule. Kejriwal flaunted the New York Times coverage last week – which praised Sisodia’s work in the education sector – and said that his deputy deserves a Bharat Ratna for all the work he has done for Delhi’s educational development.

Sisodia was raided by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for nearly 15 hours on Friday over allegations of corruption in connection with the Delhi liquor policy. – INDIA NEWS STREAM