The BJP on Thursday accused AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his wife Gurpreet Kaur of allegedly operating a corruption network through middlemen to settle rape cases in exchange for bribes of up to Rs 5 crore.
The BJP dubbed the alleged arrangement the Aam Aadmi Party's "loot model". The AAP did not immediately respond to the allegations.
The charges come against the backdrop of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) ordering an inquiry into a complaint alleging that Kaur had demanded Rs 5 crore to quash a rape case.
On August 21, the NHRC directed the Punjab chief secretary and director general of police to investigate the allegations and submit an Action Taken Report within two weeks.
Addressing a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari played purported audio recordings involving alleged middlemen and claimed they pointed to the involvement of Mann, Kaur and Kejriwal.
Bhandari alleged that middlemen had been operating across Punjab and facilitating deals to settle rape cases on the instructions of the chief minister and his wife.
He claimed the alleged network involved demands for bribes of up to Rs 5 crore and questioned whether the chief minister's office had become a "syndicate of corruption".
Bhandari also referred to an alleged rape case in which he claimed a middleman told a relative of the accused that "CM sahab" had been informed and had become involved in the matter. The recording was presented by the BJP as evidence supporting its allegations.
The BJP spokesperson also questioned Kejriwal's alleged role, referring to him as Punjab's "super CM".
The allegations have not been independently established. The NHRC-ordered inquiry is expected to examine the complaint and determine the facts.
Bhandari cited the NHRC's August 21 communication to the Punjab government, saying it had sought an investigation into whether the chief minister and his office were involved in an alleged corruption racket linked to the withdrawal of rape cases.