NEW DELHI: Senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar on Saturday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of dropping anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare like a "hot potato" after coming to power.
A day ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in Delhi, Javadekar showed a purported video of Hazare, in which the activist claimed that Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal after coming to power has not once met him.
Hazare, in the video, can also be heard saying that "power and money can make people do anything. Earlier (during the anti-corruption movement) he (Kejriwal) used to say that he will not take salary.His mind has distracted since he got power." The AAP emerged from Hazare's anti-corruption movement in 2011, but when they got power "they dropped Hazare like a hot potato", Javadekar alleged.
In late 2012, Kejriwal and a number of other leaders of the movement announced the formation of the AAP to fight the 2013 Delhi assembly elections, but Hazare decided not to join them.
Javadekar also sought an answer from Kejriwal on claims of AAP West Delhi candidate Balbir Singh Jakhar's son who said the AAP supremo sold the seat for Rs 6 crore to his father. "Today, the AAP and Kejriwal need to answer. His (Jakhar's) son has alleged that Rs 6 crore was paid for getting the ticket and similar charges were levelled during the Rajya Sabha elections. Kejriwal cannot remain silent, he has to answer," he said.
The Union HRD minister also sought an apology from Kejriwal for blaming the BJP for an attack on him during a roadshow. "Everytime he (Kejriwal) gets attacked he blames the BJP, but it turns out that the man behind the attack comes from his own party. So these are the dramatics that he engages into. He should apologise to the BJP," he said.
Javadekar also questioned the silence of Kejriwal over the recent controversy surrounding Congress leader Sam Pitroda's "so what" remark on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. "The whole country condemned the comments of Pitroda but he remains silent on the issue," he said. Javadekar was joined by Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari in attacking Kejriwal, who said he worries about the safety of Jakhar's son.