Goel to file criminal complaint against Kejriwal

Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel will file a criminal complaint against AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal “in view of mischievous and baseless allegations of corruption” levelled by him.

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) release on Wednesday said Goel served a legal notice of defamation on Kejriwal but the reply given by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader lacked specific details of his allegations.

“The reply given by Kejriwal has no specific details that could prove even an iota of the allegations levelled against the Delhi BJP president. Hence, the Delhi BJP president is compelled to file a criminal complaint against Kejriwal,” the release said.

The party said Kejriwal’s “vitriolic and personal attack” against the party was helping the Congress.

“It is surprising that instead of targeting the Congress government, AAP leaders are targeting the main opposition party BJP which is all set to defeat Congress,” the release said.

BJP claimed that people had seen through “Kejriwal’s attempts to divide the anti-incumbency vote” and his party was losing support.

Goel, in the legal notice sent Sep 23, said Kejriwal made defamatory statements deliberately and with mala fide intention through his pre-recorded telephone messages, radio broadcasts and televised debates. He sought an unconditional apology from Kejriwal and Rs.1 crore as damages towards harassment and mental agony.

Kejriwal, in his telephone messages and radio broadcasts, had targeted both Congress and BJP.

Goel cited Kejriwal’s telephone messages and radio broadcasts in his legal notice.

In his reply to Goel’s notice, Kejriwal said on Wednesday that there was no question of tendering an apology.

“You have asked me to tender an apology. There is no question. We have been fighting against corruption and will continue to do so.”

The AAP leader also pointed at alleged corruption in the working of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, run by the BJP.

IANS