Senior AAP Leader and Delhi Cabinet Minister Atishi addresses a press conference on the issue of repeated visits by the crime branch officials at CM residence & Minister Atishi’s office, in New Delhi, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Delhi Minister Atishi on Sunday said the notice served to her by the city police in connection with the MLA poaching allegation made by her does not have any mention of an FIR or include penal provisions.
She also said they have sympathy for the Crime Branch officers who are being forced by their 'political bosses' to indulge in such 'theatrics'.
Hitting back at the senior AAP leader, Bansuri Swaraj -- a secretary of the BJP's Delhi unit -- said it was unfortunate to see a sitting minister use such words for a public servant.
Atishi said at a press conference on Sunday, "Yesterday (Saturday), the Delhi Police's Crime Branch served a notice to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Today, they served a notice to me. However, the notice does not have any mention of an FIR. It does not even include any section of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) or CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure) or PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) or Prevention of Corruption Act," she said.
A team of the Delhi Police's Crime Branch on Sunday visited Atishi's home and served her a notice in connection with an allegation that the BJP was attempting to 'poach' AAP MLAs.
Police sources said the Delhi minister's staff received the notice after the Crime Branch team visited her residence for a second time on Sunday at 12.55 pm.
According to the notice, the Crime Branch has asked Kejriwal and Atishi to provide information on the allegation of poaching levelled against the BJP, given that comments made by them suggest they are privy to certain information regarding the commission of a cognisable offence.
They have been asked to respond to the notice by February 5.
On Saturday, Crime Branch officials served a notice to Kejriwal, asking him to reply within three days in connection with a probe into his claims that the BJP attempted to poach seven AAP MLAs.
Speaking to PTI Videos on Atishi's claims, Swaraj said, 'After her press conference today, it can be concluded that she has very little knowledge of the law. This is a preliminary inquiry being carried out and it is obvious that notices will be served. But, like always, the AAP is trying to create hurdles in the investigation.'
'From January 27 till now, they have made allegations but not given any evidence or names of leaders who approached their MLAs. This is because their allegations are all lies. I would request the AAP leaders not to create hurdles before the police and instead prove their claims,' she added.
The notices have been served after Kejriwal and Atishi on January 27 claimed that the BJP was trying to poach AAP MLAs by offering Rs 25 crore each and a ticket to contest next year's assembly polls to topple the AAP government.
The BJP rubbished the allegation, terming those 'false' and 'baseless', and dared the chief minister to furnish evidence to back the claims.