New Delhi:
The BJP attacked the ruling AAP on Tuesday accusing it of helping illegal Rohingyas and Bangladeshis in Delhi settle down by providing them official documents, and then use them as its vote bank.
No immediate reaction was available from the AAP over BJP’s allegation.
Former BJP MP Parvesh Verma told PTI “We all know they do not vote for the BJP… they are AAP’s vote bank.” Mr Verma alleged once illegal immigrants laid Jhuggis (tenements) in the city, AAP leaders provided them with help and official documents like ration cards to settle them down so that they could get their votes in the elections.
The former MP, who is gearing up to contest the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls from New Delhi seat, said he has identified some places in the constituency with concentration of such people and filed a complaint with the district magistrate to take appropriate action.
AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal is sitting MLA from the New Delhi seat.
In a post on X, Mr Kejriwal without naming anyone , alleged “They have have started buying votes in my constituency. Openly giving Rs 1,000 cash per vote.” Mr Kejriwal has said in the past that voters should take money from the BJP but vote for the AAP.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva charged that ever since the BJP demanded an investigation into illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya voters in Delhi, Mr Kejriwal was flustered because these “illegal infiltrators were perhaps the foundation of AAP’s victory in Delhi elections”.
A BJP delegation recently met Election Commission officials, alleging illegal Rohingya and Bangladeshis were registered as voters in Delhi at the behest of the AAP.
Delhi Police on Tuesday arrested 11 persons, claiming to have unearthed a gang involved in illegal immigration of Bangladeshi nationals.
Among those arrested, four are Bangladeshi citizens and the rest were allegedly involved in making forged documents, an official said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)