Chandigarh: Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema, while reiterating the allegation against the BJP for trying to wean away AAP MLAs in Punjab, on Wednesday named the 11 lawmakers who were allegedly approached by the saffron party.
Cheema, accompanied by Deputy Speaker Jai Kishan Rori, alleged that MLA Sheetal Angural was even issued death threats, after he was seen in the press conference on Tuesday.
“He is not the only one. Some of the other MLAs were also given death threats by the “agents of BJP”, he said.
As many as 35 MLAs have been approached and 10 of these have been issued death threats,” he alleged.
They were offered Rs 25 crore in cash. Some of them were even threatened by CBI and ED probe, alleged Cheema.
Cheema had made these allegations against the BJP on Tuesday, but had then refused to take names of the MLAs approached by the BJP leaders.
He said that the government will “have to investigate as to how such a conspiracy could be hatched and so much money could be offered.”
“I am taking these MLAs to meet the DGP, Punjab Police, requesting him to investigate the matter. We are going to request him to file an FIR. We are submitting all proof against them,” he said.
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 — were also present in the conference.
“Earlier in Delhi, the BJP had set aside Rs 800 crore for Operation Lotus, but they failed.
“In Goa, they (BJP) have succeeded in weaning away eight MLAs. It is the ruling party at the Centre whose strategy is to gain power,” he said.
“The only party that is able to pose a challenge to the BJP is the AAP, so the BJP is now after us. But our MLAs are loyal and won’t break away,” he said.
Sheetal Angural said he was threatened of dire consequences if he made public the proofs of call and offers.
