Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court summoned AAP Minister Atishi on Tuesday to appear before it on June 29 in a defamation case filed by Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Delhi media head, Praveen Shankar Kapoor. The case pertains to allegations made by Atishi regarding the BJP's purported attempts to "poach" AAP legislators.
In April, the BJP issued a defamation notice to Atishi after she claimed she was pressured to join the party or face arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) within a month.
Launching a sharp attack against the BJP, Atishi questioned, "I want to ask the BJP how they formed governments in Goa, Manipur, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh without attaining majority seats. How MPs from their parties come to join the BJP." She further added, "I also want to know how, after the NCP gets divided into two factions, the leaders who join the BJP get rid of all CBI and ED cases. The BJP must answer that when Praful Patel joined the BJP, all the cases related to the Air India scam got closed."
Atishi also mentioned that "Operation Lotus is no secret. AAP does not need to answer on this but the BJP needs to answer how they are forming governments without managing to win by the majority in states."
In response, BJP leader and candidate from the New Delhi constituency, Bansuri Swaraj, stated, "AAP cannot make defamatory statements against the BJP repeatedly and not be accountable. Atishi ji will now have to appear before court to present her side."
Swaraj further commented on AAP's pattern of making unsubstantiated claims, saying, "They keep levelling false allegations and think that there will be no consequences. ACMM Rouse Avenue summoned Atishi Ji on June 29 in the defamation case. She will now have to clarify on her January 27, 2024, tweet and allegations levelled at the BJP during a press conference on April 2, in which she said that she got an offer to join the BJP."
