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Punjab CM Amarinder Singh shocks all, demands proof of Balakot air strike

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab CM Amarinder Singh shocks all, demands proof of Balakot air strike

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh who is known for his nationalistic views shocked everyone by demanding proof of Balakot air strikes. The senior Congressman’s unexpected statement is a political shield to defend his party’s stand on the air strikes by Indian Air Force (IAF) on terror camps deep within Pakistan. He justified his party’s right to demand proof on the success of IAF’s operation from the Modi government.


“If the strikes were as successful as the Modi government claimed them to be, it’s actually a matter of immense pride for our country and for all of us. So let us see how our forces destroyed Pak buildings and shattered their inflated ego,” he responded to a question on the allegation of BJP terming the Congress anti-national for demanding proof of IAF’s operation.

Singh asserted that this is not the first time proof had been asked. He pointed out to an instance from 1965 war when an Army Major had brought chopped ears of the dead from the other side of the border to put speculations on Indian operations to rest. He also recalled that photographs were released as proof of the success of Kargil operation.

He insisted that demanding proof from the government was no way an unpatriotic gesture.

Singh expressed pride about the ageing MiG 21 taking down Pakistan’s F-16 and added he would be delighted to learn about Balkot’s success story. He attacked PM Narendra Modi over his alleged attempts to politicize Balakot operation and seek votes in the names of martyred soldiers.

“Have they (BJP) forgotten who won India its wars against Pakistan in 1965 and 1971,” he questioned and added “I’m a military historian also and if Modi doesn’t want to give proof of the strikes to the press or the Congress, he can send them to me,” he suggested.

He insisted he would feel extremely proud if the BJP leaders’ claims are proven right and blamed the BJP for using IAF’s accomplishment for political gains. He supported his part’s demand and said BJP should not hesitate to put all doubts to rest.

Singh refuted BJP’s claim of Congress siding with the ‘tukde tukde gang,’ and blamed BJP leadership of playing divisive politics.

The opposition has been repeatedly attacking Modi government by towing Pakistan line of demanding proof of the Balakot air strike. Singh, an ex-soldier who is respected for keeping nation above politics, seems to have disappointed many with his latest remarks.

Several people responded to his tweet saying that it was not expected of him.


Earlier, Singh had earned respect and praise for his views on the Balakot air strike. He was hailed as an officer, a gentleman, and a true leader.

Congress Lucknow candidate Acharya Parmod calls Shatrughan Sinha an RSS man for campaigning for wife and SP candidate

OpIndia Staff
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Congress Lucknow candidate Acharya Parmod calls Shatrughan Sinha an RSS man for campaigning for wife and SP candidate

Congress candidate from Lucknow Lok Sabha seat Acharya Pramod Krishnan has slammed actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha for campaigning for his wife Poonam Sinha who is a Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate from Lucknow only. After remaining as a dissident in BJP for several years, Shatrughan Sinha had joined the Congress party last month and he is contesting from Patna Sahib on a Congress ticket. A few days later his wife Poonam Sinha had joined the Samajwadi Party, and she was fielded from Lucknow. Shatrughan Sinha had accompanied his wife when she had filed her nomination, and he had also participated in the SP candidate’s campaigning.


Acharya Pramod Krishnan, whose name is included in the list of fake babas of the country by All India Akhara Parishad, attacked Sinha supporting his wife despite being a Congress member.

Krishnan said that Shatrughan Sinha has joined the Congress Party but has not yet resigned from the RSS. “I want to say this about Shatrughan Sinha that he has joined the Congress but has not resigned from the RSS. Shatrughan Sinha’s whole family is still a part of RSS. I just want to tell them that they should stop betraying Rahul Gandhi Ji”, said Krishnan.

Blaming Sinha for degraded the dignity of Party, Acharya said, “Sinha Ji has crossed the limits of the Party before the whole country. He has degraded the dignity of the Party. He has disrespected Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi”. He said that Sinha is fulfilling his Patni Dharma while he should be fulfilling his Party Dharma. He added that Sinha should fulfil his party dharma by campaigning for him.

Recently an old video of Krishnan was doing the rounds on social media in which he is seen making communally provocative statements. “Those who don’t believe in Prophet Mohammad cannot be acceptable to us”, said Krishnan shouting Nara-e-Takbeer and Nara-e Risalat.

Sinha on being questioned about campaigning for his wife had said that he loved the party but not more than his family.

“Ask him to first change his name from Sitaram”, Subramanian Swamy reprimands Yechury for citing Ramayana-Mahabharata as proofs of Hindu violence

OpIndia Staff
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“Ask him to first change his name from Sitaram”, Subramanian Swamy reprimands Yechury for citing Ramayana-Mahabharata as proofs of Hindu violence

In a sharp rebuke to CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury for his audacity to brand epics Ramayana and Mahabharata as specimens of Hindu violence, BJP leader, Subramanian Swamy Tweeted that Sitaram Yechury should be first asked to change his name. He, instead of being called ‘Sitaram’ should be named ‘Mar(x)Leni(n)= Marleni’.


Further, while talking on the phone lines with Times Now, Subramanian Swamy training his guns at the Communist leader said that it is the worst possible thing a person living in India could say.

Sitaram Yechury belongs to a party that believes in violence, i.e. revolutionary violence. “He himself belonging to a party which believes in violence, and calling Hindu’s violent is meaningless on his part,” Swamy said. He added that Hindus believe in retaliatory violence which means that, the Hindu’s don’t believe in initiating violence but won’t stop if inflicted with the same.

Stating examples from Mahabharata and Ramayana, Swamy says that Hindu never takes the first step towards violence but once they are forced they go to any length in the due process.


On being questioned whether the opposition is resorting to such tactics as a sign of desperation and political convenience, Swamy says that the opposition including the Congress party, is probably “recognising that Hindutva is upsetting their all sorts of calculations, so now they are trying to rubbish it by making such absurd remarks”.

Last year too, Swamy had launched a scathing attack on Yechury for asking for the impeachment of CJI saying that “Yechuri sounds demented in asking for impeachment of CJI. Leftist don’t like CJI because he quotes from Sanskrit! Impeach Karat first,” Swamy tweeted.


Earlier, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury had triggered a massive controversy with his recent comments on the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.

At an event in Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, Yechury said, “Ramayana and Mahabharata are also filled with instances of violence and battles. Being a pracharak (RSS functionary), you narrate the epics but still claim Hindus can’t be violent? What is the logic behind saying that there’s a religion which engages in violence and we Hindus don’t.”

First things first, to reduce the vast complexity of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana to a mere exhibition of violence is only a reflection of the extremely myopic understanding of the texts the Communist appears to have. Secondly, to view the violence in the epics in isolation is to miss the point of it all entirely.

In Mahabharata, just as in Ramayana, war ensued because principles of Dharma were violated and Adharma reigned supreme in the land. But for Yechury to equate Dharmayuddha with a religious war, and calling it a proof of ‘Hindu violence’ only demonstrates his shallow mindset and testifies the level our politicians are willing to stoop to in their sordid race for power.

On press freedom day, meet the ‘fearless’ journalist who interviewed Rahul Gandhi and said ‘Rafale has entered people’s blood’

OpIndia Staff
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On press freedom day, meet the ‘fearless’ journalist who interviewed Rahul Gandhi and said ‘Rafale has entered people’s blood’

It’s raining Rahul Gandhi interviews as pliant media rushes to propagate his lies. First, ‘chota mota blast’ Sreenivasan Jain conducted an interview with Rahul Gandhi, then, India Today published an interview where Rahul admitted that his one aim was to destroy Narendra Modi’s ‘incorruptible image’ and the interviewer himself lied profusely, and now, TV Bharatvarsh seems to have an interview with Rahul Gandhi.

On press freedom day, one would imagine that Rahul Gandhi just handing out interviews was perhaps a massive step forward for media freedom, especially, with all platforms tout the interview as ‘explosive’ and ‘tell-all’. The reality, however, is far from it.

First, we found out that India Today, in all probability, trashed a video interview with Rahul Gandhi and published a text interview. As rumour had it, it was done because the interview itself was so bad that it could not be telecast. Why a media house would allegedly shield a bad politician, is, of course, a matter of debate especially on press freedom day. India Today tweeted a clarification too, that certainly left a lot to be desired and hardly cleared the air.

Now, as if the India Today interview fiasco wasn’t bad enough, another pliant journalist has got the “once in a lifetime” opportunity to interview Rahul Gandhi.

An embarrassing portion of the interview with TV Bharatvarsh was posted by a Twitter user.


In the portion that went viral, “journalist” Supriya Bhardwaj was seen interviewing Rahul Gandhi. In the clip, Rahul Gandhi, with a sheepish smile tells the “journalist” Supriya Bhardwaj that in Parliament House, Bhardwaj had told Rahul Gandhi that “ye Rafale mudda khoon main ghus gaya hai” (The Rafale issue has entered the blood of the people).

Then, Rahul Gandhi asks the cameraman to pan the camera on Supriya Bhardawaj to show her smiling. The camera obediently pans on Bhardwaj where she was seen smiling with her head cocked downwards. The shy smile indeed spoke a thousand words.

Then, Rahul Gandhi asks her again whether these were her words and she says yes. Then Rahul Gandhi repeats her words. He says that Bhardwaj had told him that this Rafale issue had entered the blood of the people and no matter how hard BJP tries, it won’t be able to wash it away.

The Rafale saga is one that Rahul Gandhi has hopelessly and desperately latched on to.

Rahul Gandhi once lied blatantly on the floor of the house, claiming that the French President had spoken to Rahul Gandhi personally and told him that there was corruption in the Rafale deal. Later, in a massive embarrassment, the French government had to issue a statement, essentially saying that Rahul Gandhi lied and no such meeting ever took place.

In his desperation to prove that Rafale deal was a scam, Rahul Gandhi even pretended to visit ailing Manohar Parrikar as a courtesy visit. That “courtesy visit” was later turned into a ploy to attack the Rafale deal. Rahul Gandhi used a visit made to an ailing Chief Minister to claim that Manohar Parrikar had himself told Rahul Gandhi that he had some files on the Rafale deal and that there was a scam in the deal. Parrikar, suffering from cancer, had to come out and issue a statement calling out Rahul Gandhi’s lies. In fact, even after Manohar Parrikar lost the battle to cancer, even in death, Rahul Gandhi lied in Manohar Parrikar’s name.

The changing numbers of the “scam” amount, the fact that his allegation of the amount “Modi gave to Ambani” is greater than the entire offset amount, the shoddy audio tape that was thrown out by the parliament, the fact that the Supreme Court itself gave a clean chit to the deal and the fact that he admitted that the Supreme Court had made no observation of ‘chowkidar chor hai’ as he had alleged are all facts that have been put forth a number of times. Rahul Gandhi was forced to apologise.

And yet, “journalists” of courage apparently go up to Rahul Gandhi and tell them how the Rafale issue has “entered the blood of the people” instead of questioning him on the blatant lies and frivolities.

This “journalist” of courage had earlier displayed how fiercely independent and committed to the truth she really is.

She had, on March 31st, Bhardwaj had tweeted friendly pictures of her with Congress leaders and tweeted, “ek nayi shuruat, apnon ke saath” (A new beginning with people my own).


The independent journalist sure has family-like ties with the Congress leaders, in her words. The Congress leaders who can be seen in the photographs with Bhardwaj are Sam Pitroda, Himanshu Vyas (AICC secretary of overseas Congress) and some Shiv Bhattia.

Her Twitter timeline is full of fawning tweets about the Gandhis. Just like family.


She has a really happy picture with Sonia Gandhi too. In fact, she tweeted it with several exclamation marks (and a smiley). And we just can’t stop awwww-ing at the mother-daughter sort of closeness this independent journalist shares with the mother-Gandhi.


The love and affection that is showered by Bhardwaj on the Gandhi family and is reciprocated by the Gandhi family on Supriya is truly heartwarming.

One must also remember that TV Bharatvarsh’s group editor is Vinod Kapri. Kapri was recently talking about “journalist of courage” and was browbeating Times Now for questioning the Congress party.


Vinod Kapri had spread fake news about Bulandshehr and even attacked the police after he was called out for his fake news. In his Modi hate, he had even attributed the shutting down of Jet Airways to Modi and questioned his ‘vikas agenda’. Then, in his love for Congress and Nehru, he shared an unrelated picture to show how Nehru took a dip in Ganga during Kumbh 1954, the same Kumbh that saw a stampede that left 1000 dead and one where Congress burnt the victims’ dead bodies to hide the evidence.

This “encouraging” saga of press independence coming on Press Freedom Day does warm the cockles of one’s heart.

The only advice that we can perhaps give these “fiercely independent journalists” was best articulated by Bhardwaj herself in one of her tweets.


Literally.

Former CIA acting director Michael Morell says Pakistan is using terrorism as a tool against India

OpIndia Staff
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Former CIA acting director Michael Morell says Pakistan is using terrorism as a tool against India

Former CIA acting director Michael Morell has alleged that Pakistan perceives India as a threat to its existence and uses terrorism as a tool against the country. He made this startling revelation in a podcast discussion with Kurt Campbell and Rich Verma.

Morell asserted that Pakistan is one of the most dangerous countries in the world and supports terrorist groups as a tool.

Campbell, former Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs and Verma, former US Ambassador to India, have regularly been hosting ‘The Tealeaves’ Podcast of the Asia Group.

“What they don’t realize is that it’s impossible to keep those terrorist groups under control. And that eventually comes back to bite you. You know, I believe that Pakistan, at the end of the day, maybe the most dangerous country in the world,” he said.

Notably, Morell played a key role in the killing of Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Laden was on the most-wanted list for masterminding a deadly terrorist attack in the United States on September 11, 2011. These attacks had that left as many as 2,296 people dead and injured over 6,000 others.

He also underlined his concern on population explosion in Pakistan and termed it the cause of awful demographic changes.

Morell who was the deputy head of CIA during Obama’s tenure added, “The economy’s going nowhere. It simply can’t provide the jobs that need to be provided for the young people who are entering the labor force. The education system is literally broken. I went to Pakistan more often than I went to any other country when I was deputy director.”

Divulging further, he said that extremism in Pakistan was growing from a societal perspective and had found a footing within the military too. He also expressed his apprehensions about a color revolution much like Arab-spring style movement that could hit the streets of Islamabad within a few years (possibly 10 years) from now. He hinted that such an agitation could end up with an extremist government in control of nuclear weapons and that is scary.

He further added that Pakistan has focused on India for too long and has organized its system accordingly. In order to protect itself from the perceived threat, they have vested more powers in the military than the civilian government.

“The government, therefore, makes choices that I don’t believe, and many people don’t believe are in the best long term interest of Pakistan. Pakistan has spent more money on nuclear weapons than they do in education,” the former spymaster added.

He also held Pakistan responsible for creating terrorists in Afganistan fearing India’s influence in the region.

India has long been accusing Pakistan of fueling terrorism from its soil against it. In the wake of recent Pulwama attack, The United States of America had issued a stern warning to Pakistan urging it to take concrete actions against Islamic terror groups including the Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Hans Raj Hans rubbishes allegations that he converted to Islam, says will file defamation and SC/ST act case against Kejriwal

OpIndia Staff
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Hans Raj Hans rubbishes allegations that he converted to Islam, says will file defamation and SC/ST act case against Kejriwal

The BJP candidate from the North-West Delhi constituency, Hans Raj Hans, whose candidature was questioned by AAP party on the grounds of his religion has today rubbished the allegations levelled by Aam Aadmi Party and threatened its chief Arvind Kejriwal with a Defamation suit and a case under SC/ST act.


Recently, when the BJP announced Hans Raj Hans’ candidature from North West Delhi constituency, the AAP party demanded his candidature be cancelled claiming that he has converted to Islam in 2014 and thus he cannot fight from North West Delhi which is a reserved seat. AAP’s entire assertion regarding Hans’ supposed conversion to Islam was based on fake news promulgated by Pakistani media houses in 2014, which his family had already vehemently refuted.

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal had lapped up the fake news to lash out at the BJP candidate. Kejriwal pompously tweeted that Hans’ candidature will be declared ‘ineligible’ as he is fighting from a reserved seat.


AAP had alleged that several media houses had covered the news of Hans Raj Hans converting to Islam back in 2014. However, the fact is, that in 2014, several Pakistani news portals ‘Pakistan Affairs’, ‘U News TV’ and Pakistan leaning Indian-in-name portals like Caravan had asserted that Hans, who had been studying Islamic literature for many days, developed faith in the values of Islam in the process and adopted the religion.

However, Yuvraj Hans, son of Hans Raj Hans had rubbished the reports from Pakistan of his father converting to Islam and called these speculations just a rumour.

With AAP falling over itself to discredit Hans’ candidature without verifying the authenticity of its claims regarding Hans’ religion and caste, the BJP candidate from North West Delhi has now threatened AAM chief Arvind Kejriwal with a defamation suit and SC/ST act.

AAP chief Kejriwal had been at the receiving end of quite a few defamation suits. last year, he had to go on a ‘written apology’ spree to save himself from such cases.

India Today says the Rahul Gandhi interview was recorded by Congress, and party has not given recording to the channel

OpIndia Staff
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India Today says the Rahul Gandhi interview was recorded by Congress, and party has not given recording to the channel

Earlier today, an interview of Congress president Rahul Gandhi was published by India Today channel. As soon as the interview was published, rumours took root that initially, India today was about to telecast a video interview of Rahul Gandhi, but since the interview was so bad, Congress insisted that a text interview be published instead.

Now, India Today has tweeted a clarification regarding the entire fiasco by asserting that there was never a video interview that was recorded.


India Today clarified that the channel was always publishing a print interview and that India Today has no video recording of the same.

The channel also clarified that Congress, however, recorded the entire interaction and that the channel, India Today, has no access to it.

Earlier, OpIndia had published an article with three pieces of evidence that suggested that perhaps India Today did intend to telecast a live interview of Rahul Gandhi but pulled out of it in the last minute. The evidence included a video segment from the channel that claimed that viewers would be able to watch the interview with Rahul Gandhi at 6:30 PM on 2nd May 2019. What is not yet clear from India Today’s explanation is why the television channel advertised for its viewers to ‘watch’ the interview on India Today TV on 2nd May, while the print interview was then published on 3rd May.

A campaign dais is not for singing bhajans, it is for attacking the political opponents: Yogi Adityanath on EC notice

OpIndia Staff
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A campaign dais is not for singing bhajans, it is for attacking the political opponents: Yogi Adityanath on EC notice

Responding on the notice of the Election Commission (EC) seeking an explanation for his alleged “Babar ki Aulad” remark on the Mahagathbandhan candidate from Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has stated in a conversation with ANI that the dais in elections rallies is not for singing bhajans, it is for attacking your political opponents.


He said that quoting a conversation does not come within the ambit of Model Code of Conduct (MCC). “Aapsi baatcheet ko kahin quote karna achar sanhita mein nahi aata hai. Koi bhajan karne ke liye jaata hai kya manch pe? Ukhad dene ke liye aur apne virodhi ko gherne ke liye manch pe jate hain (Quoting conversations does not fall under the Model Code Conduct. Does anyone go to the dais to sing bhajans? Dias is used for attacking your rivals)“, said Adityanath.

It is notable here that Yogi Adityanath had said during a speech at a rally in Sambhal on April 19 that when he had once asked the SP candidate Shafiq ur Rehman about his lineage, he had stated that he is “Babur ki Aulad” (descended from Babur).

He added, “Our work is to highlight the opposition’s weakness in front of the people. We do not mind it even when the Congress or the Samajwadi Party abuse us during their election campaigning. If we revert why are we called wrong?”

The EC had earlier imposed a 72-hour ban on Yogi Adityanath for his remarks during a speech that if the opposition trusts Ali, he (and the BJP) trust Bajrangbali.

Tamil Nadu BJYM Vice President complains to EC over MK Stalin speech blaming Modi for Tuticorin massacre

OpIndia Staff
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Tamil Nadu BJYM Vice President complains to EC over MK Stalin speech blaming Modi for Tuticorin massacre

SG Suryah, the vice president of Tamil Nadu unit of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) written to the Election Commission complaining about DMK president Stalin’s comments against PM Narendra Modi.

Addressing an election rally in Ottapidaram in Tamil Nadu on May 1, Stalin hade said that the firing on Sterlite protesters done in May 2018 was done on the instructions of PM Modi. Stalin was attending a rally for the byelection in the Ottapidaram assembly constituency.

On the On 22nd May 2018, Tamil Nadu police personnel had fired on protesters headed for the DC office, which had left 13 persons dead. The protestor demanding that the Sterlite Copper factory located in Ottapidaram assembly constituency should be shut down, alleging that the factory is causing pollution in the area.

There is no evidence that the central government ordered the state police to fire on the protesters, and the probe into the incident is still ongoing. Therefore, SG Suryah has filed the complaint alleging that that speech by Stalin violates the model code of conduct for elections. The complaint states:

 This statement is totally false and defamatory. It amounts to inciting violence and hatred against the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the BJP. Also, such a speech is in direct violation of the following provision of Model of Code of Conduct. Annexure V of the Model Code of Conduct specifically provides for the “Do’s and Dont’s” to be followed by the political parties till the elections are over. Clause (v) of Annexure V reads as follows:

“No criticism of other parties or their workers on basis of unverified allegations or on distortions”

Complaint against MK Stalin by SG Suryah
Complaint against MK Stalin by SG Suryah

The complaint says that M. K. Stalin has been making such false and baseless statements repeatedly with a view to incite violence and gain political mileage. The BJYM leader has requested the EC that M.K. Stalin should be banned from campaigning for the ongoing by-elections in Tamil Nadu immediately.

The polling for the byelections in Tamil Nadu will be held on 19th May, while the vote for Lok Sabha elections in the state has already taken place on 18th April.

AAP MLA joins BJP seven hours after Kejriwal boasts their loyalty towards the party

OpIndia Staff
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AAP MLA joins BJP seven hours after Kejriwal boasts their loyalty towards the party

There is never a dull moment with parody party Aam Aadmi Party. After the rumours of AAP MLAs beating up AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal died down, he has resurfaced on Twitter doing things he does best, spreading misinformation and whining.

Today morning, however, he decided to take a dig on Union Minister and BJP leader Vijay Goel who had claimed that 14 AAP MLAs are in touch with the BJP and are willing to switch sides.


Goel was actually responding to Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s allegations that BJP was trying to ‘bribe’ seven AAP MLAs by paying them Rs 10 crore each. Goel had responded that it is not seven but 14 AAP MLAs who are in talks with the BJP to switch sides because they are ‘frustrated’ with the anarchic way in which Kejriwal worked. Kejriwal tweeted the image of the news and accused Goel of trying to bribe his MLAs. He asked, “So where are you struck? How much are you asking? How much are they demanding?”

As an afterthought, he perhaps realised that this would make it appear that the MLAs of a party which came to power on the plank of non-corruption, are also up for sale, and since he too is an MLA of the same party, it would perhaps appear he is up for sale too. Hence, he followed it up with another tweet that while the BJP has tried to bribe the AAP MLAs earlier too, none of them have caved in. “It is not easy to buy AAP people,” he tweeted.


However, Kejriwal’s pride in his MLAs’ loyalty was quite short-lived. About seven hours after he boasted that his MLAs would be loyal, Anil Bajpayi, AAP MLA from Gandhi Nagar constituency in Delhi joined the BJP.


Twitter users couldn’t stop themselves from taking a dig at AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal over their MLA abandoning them.


People even speculated if he was one of the MLAs who allegedly beat up Kejriwal.


Meanwhile, Vijay Goel hit out on Kejriwal and told him not to lower the political discourse by levelling accusations of ‘buying’ MLAs.


Bajpayi’s exit comes just 10 days before Delhi goes to vote for the seven seats in Lok Sabha on May 12. The seven phases of voting will end on May 19 and counting will take place on May 23.

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