BJP Steps Up Attack on AAP, Comes Up With 5 More Questions

In a fresh instalment of questions for the Arvind Kejriwal -led party, BJP sought to know why AAP had to 'import' volunteers from other nations and why it had not provided details of its Lok Sabha expenses to the Election Commission.

NEW DELHI: Looking to corner AAP ahead of the upcoming polls, BJP today came up with five more questions for the rival outfit and also targeted it saying it was "anti- women".

In a fresh instalment of questions for the Arvind Kejriwal -led party, BJP sought to know why AAP had to 'import' volunteers from other nations and why it had not provided details of its Lok Sabha expenses to the Election Commission.

BJP charged that AAP had scant regard for institutions like EC as Kejriwal was repeatedly defying its orders with the threat of moving high court against it.

It also sought to know from AAP as to how many times had it raised the issue of strengthening the Lokayukta in Delhi during its 49-day stint in power here.

Union minister and BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman said that although some questions posed to AAP may seem old to some people, the saffron outfit would nonetheless continue to raise these as people of Delhi need the answers to them before making up their mind before the polls.

Sitharaman said BJP never runs away from debates, "but the DNA of AAP is to not have debates. The DNA of AAP is to hit and run. The DNA of AAP is to scoot after making some kind of a shooting. If their intention for a debate is genuine, then they should have answered these questions".

• BJP sought to ask Kejriwal to explain why AAP had "outsourced" its work and was bringing in volunteers from foreign countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Dubai to campaign for the party here. "It is natural to ask for votes in Delhi polls. The way it (AAP) has outsourced its work through volunteers, it is seeking the help of people to contact Delhi voters who are linked to anti-national forces," alleged Sitharaman. AAP is outsourcing volunteer work to Bangladesh, Pakistan and Dubai as stated on its website.

• She also questioned why AAP had not given details of its accounts for Lok Sabha polls to Election Commission. Being a party which accuses other parties of being corrupt, how is that AAP is yet to submit the details of its expenses for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls to EC, she asked.  "Are you there only to give us lectures and do what you want. What is going on?" she said.

• Labelling AAP as "anti-women", Sitharaman said going by the exodus of women from the party, "it won't be an exaggeration to say that AAP is anti-women". She cited the names of Madhu Bhaduri, Neena Sharma and Shazia Ilmi who have all quit AAP ranks. "Why is there an exodus of women from your party?" she asked and questioned its scathing attack on BJP's chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi. "Have some shame... Is this the way you deal with a prospective CM? Is this the way you deal with a career-based woman?" she said as she sought to know AAP's views on women.

• Criticising AAP for violating EC's orders and, instead of falling in line, threatening to appeal against the panel in high court, BJP asked the party why it was "insulting" constitutional bodies.Sitharaman said that AAP only respected constitutional bodies when it was to its benefit. She said that EC had thrice given orders against the AAP leader, but its directions continued to be brazenly violated. "If you don't like their verdict, appeal in high court. But until the time the high court responds, EC's order is valid. You are brazenly violating its order," she said. "They (AAP) dilute, defame institutions they don't like... Why are they defaming institutions?," she said, adding that the party decides selectively whether to respect or denigrate constitutional bodies.

• She questioned AAP's intention to strengthen Lokayukta and said, "How many times did they raise that issue after the 49 days in power in Delhi?... Kejriwal has cheated Anna Hazare not once or twice, but several times," she said. She asked why AAP did not protest when Congress government in Uttarakhand diluted the Lokayukta Act."Why Lokayukta is not an issue for you in Delhi elections," she said, adding that they had taken up the issue only to suit their convenience.

BJP plans to put five questions to Kejriwal everyday till February 5 in the run-up to the February 7 Delhi Assembly polls.

Talking about a caricature on Anna Hazare in a BJP advertisement, Sitharaman said, "It symbolises the fact that AAP has been completely insincere to the (anti-corruption) movement."

AAP on Friday took a swipe at BJP for its newspaper advertisement in which Anna Hazare's cartoon has been shown with a garland with Kejriwal wondering whether the saffron party had "killed" off the veteran anti-corruption crusader.