The former MP claims that the money was distributed as part of a campaign by ‘Rashtriya Swabhiman’, an NGO formed by his late father and former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – Delhi Chief Minister Atishi Singh and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal have come down heavily on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanding the arrest of former BJP MP Pravesh Verma after reports emerged of him distributing cash to women voters.
According to reports, Verma doled out cash to a large number of women voters at his official residence in the national capital on Wednesday. Several women recipients said the money was given to them in the name of Ladli Yojna. “This is for my dear sister and mother from Parvesh Bhaiyya” is written on the envelope stuffed with cash worth Rs 1,100.
“There is a huge crowd out there,” said a woman after receiving the envelope. The development has come at a time when the polls are around the corner in the national capital.
Reacting to the issue, Atishi said a raid by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) should be conducted at the residence of Verma to seize all the cash.
“BJP was caught red-handed today while distributing money for votes. At Pravesh Verma ji’s government bungalow – 20 Windsor Place – ₹ 1100 was being given in cash to local women. Along with this, there was also a pamphlet with Modi ji, Amit Shah ji and lotus symbol,” wrote Atishi on X.
Posting the photos of the women getting the cash envelope, Atishi added: “We have information that there are still crores of rupees in cash lying inside the house. ED and CBI should immediately raid the house, recover the money and arrest Pravesh Verma ji immediately”.
In a series of posts on X, Kejriwal also slammed Verma calling him a “traitor”.
“These people are giving Rs 1,100 to every voter and asking them to vote for their party. Are you helping the needy or openly buying votes? Your father must be ashamed of a traitor son like you,” he said.
“He is saying that no woman will go empty-handed from his house. From today onwards women of the entire Delhi should go to his house and bring money. These people do not contest elections, they just do dishonesty. This time in the Delhi elections, their every act will be exposed before the country. These people will be exposed before the whole country,” said the former Delhi chief minister.
Alleging that another leader was also caught distributing cash, Kejriwal said he was just coming from many areas of his New Delhi Vidhan Sabha constituency. Everywhere people told him that these people are openly buying votes. They are paying Rs 1,100 for one vote. People said that they would take money from them but would not vote for their party.
“If instead of abusing me for ten years you had done some work for the public then there would have been no need to buy votes like this in the elections today,” he said.
Meanwhile, Verma claimed that the money was distributed as part of a campaign by ‘Rashtriya Swabhiman’, an NGO formed by his late father and former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma.
“I am seeing the pain of women which Arvind Kejriwal could not see for 11 years. They were hassled… I decided that we would give them ₹1,100 per month. At least I am not distributing liquor like Arvind Kejriwal. I am happy that I am helping people,” Verma was quoted by PTI as saying.
The BJP is eyeing to dislodge the AAP government in Delhi in the upcoming elections due to be held early next year.