BJP offered Rs 20-25 cr to AAP MLAs to topple Punjab govt: Harpal Singh Cheema

BJP offered Rs 20-25 cr to AAP MLAs to topple Punjab govt: Harpal Singh Cheema

 

BJP offered Rs 20-25 cr to AAP MLAs to topple Punjab govt: Harpal Singh Cheema

Chandigarh :Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema, while reiterating the allegation against the BJP of trying to wean away the AAP MLAs in Punjab, on Wednesday named the 11 MLAs who were allegedly approached by the saffron party.

The MLAs are Dinesh Chadha, Raman Arora, Budh Ram, Kulwant Pandori, Narinder Kaur Bharaj, Rajnish Dahiya, Rupinder Singh Happy, Sheetal Angural, Manjit Singh Bilaspur, Labh Singh Ugoke and Baljinder Kaur.

Cheema, accompanied by Deputy Speaker Jai Kishan Rori, alleged that MLA Sheetal Angural was also given death threat, after he was seen in the press conference on Tuesday.

“He is not the only one. Some of the other MLAs were also issued death threats by the “agents of BJP”, he said.  As many as 35 MLAs had been approached and 10 of them had been issued death threats, he alleged.

They were offered Rs 25 crore in cash. Some of them were even threatened with the CBI and ED raids, Cheema alleged.

Cheema had levelled these allegations against the BJP on Tuesday, but had refused to take names of the MLAs approached by the BJP leaders.

He said the government would have to investigate as to how such a conspiracy could be hatched and so much money offered.

“I am taking these MLAs to meet the DGP, requesting him to investigate the matter. We will request him to file an FIR. We are submitting all proof against them,” he said.

“Earlier in Delhi, the BJP had set aside Rs 800 crore for Operation Lotus, but they failed. In Goa, they have succeeded in weaning away eight MLAs. It is the strategy of the ruling party at the Centre to gain power,” he said.

He said the only party that could pose a challenge to the BJP is AAP, so the BJP is now after them. “But our MLAs are loyal and won’t break away,” he said.