New Delhi [India], January 14 : BJP leader Parvesh Verma has strongly refuted AAP's "cash-for-votes" allegations against him and alleged that the ruling party in Delhi protects the Rohingyas and illegal immigrants in the country.
Verma, who is contesting assembly polls against AAP leader and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi assembly seat, said that he had seen voter cards to ensure that benefits do not go to illegal immigrants in his constituency.
Verma is locked in a triangular contest in New Delhi. Congress has fielded Sandeep Dikshit, son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
AAP has been alleging that the BJP distributed money to people by checking their voter cards in the New Delhi assembly constituency. Chief Minister Atishi had alleged that Parvesh Verma had "given money to people".
In an interview with ANI, Parvesh Verma responded to AAP's allegations and said he is not seeking votes by distributing cash.
"We are taught that charity begins at home. I am fighting from New Delhi and I am distributing the benefits to the women of the New Delhi constituency. If Atishiji is so worried, she should give it to the people of her constituency. If our government is formed, we will give to the women of Delhi like in Madhya Pradesh. By starting from New Delhi, I showed that when I can give... I am not CM, Dy CM, minister, MLA or MP ...when I can give, why can't you?" he asked.
"Is it fair to say that first vote for me, I will give job later...is this right? I am giving earlier, I am not saying that give me a vote first and then I will give the benefit. I have not given cash for votes. I only saw their voter card. Should I give it to Bangladeshi, should I give it to Rohingya? I am only checking to see that they are voters of Delhi or New Delhi," he added.
Answering a query on BJP allegations about the presence of Bangladeshi Rohingyas who support AAP, Verma said there are thousands of them.
Verma, a former MP from West Delhi and son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma, alleged that AAP facilitates Rohingyas getting voter cards.
"Their voter cards and ration cards, who made them, AAP made them. AAP MLAs fought case with them. An AAP MLA had said that Rohingya Bangladeshis would be given Rs 10,000 each, their ration cards would be prepared, they will get water connection, place to live. When police goes to arrest them, they keep all their documents, police is unable to do anything. AAP MLAs give fees for their lawyers and fight for them in court. Rohingya Bangladeshi is not vote bank of BJP. They vote for AAP. Their staying here, getting voter cards, is not in the interest of BJP, it is in their (AAP's) interest. How they have come, for how many years they are in India, entire history is to be checked. When the documents are not found, cases are filed against them but AAP keeps protecting them through its government...," he alleged.
Asked further about allegations that Rohingyas and illegal immigrants from Bangladeshis are present in thousands, Verma said he had filed an RTI and Delhi police responded that in the last two to three years about 700 were deported. Thousands are being deported after due identification. Cases run in courts... in the last 5 to 10 years thousands of Bangladeshi Rohingyas have been deported. Police and the government are working actively on this," he added.
Verma had earlier too rubbished Atishi's cash-for-votes allegations, saying Rashtriya Swabhiman Sansthan, started by his father around 25 years ago, has been helping people.
He had also taken a jibe at AAP, saying he was "happy" that he was "not distributing liquor as Kejriwal did in Delhi".
"Yesterday, I saw Arvind Kejriwal's tweet, and today I heard the press conference of Delhi's temporary Chief Minister. AAP MP Sanjay Singh is also roaming around my house. Rashtriya Swabhiman Sansthan, started by my father around 25 years ago, has been helping people and has redeveloped two villages devastated by an earthquake in Gujarat and four villages in Odisha destroyed by a cyclone," Verma had told reporters last month.
He added that the organisation spent crores of rupees saving lives during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing oxygen concentrators and opening a care centre in West Delhi.
"Today, I feel very good that Atishi ji and Kejriwal ji are appreciating the work we are doing. I have witnessed the misery of women here, which Kejriwal ji could not see in the last 11 years. When I met them, they told me they neither have pensions nor ration cards, jobs, or access to medical facilities. I decided that my organisation would create a scheme to help them on a monthly basis," he said.
"I am happy about one thing: at least I am not distributing liquor, which the Chief Minister of Delhi (Arvind Kejriwal) was distributing all over Delhi," he added.
The Election Commission had earlier asked Delhi's chief electoral officer to look into AAP's complaints against Verma. AAP and BJP parties have also made allegations against each other of additions and deletions in the electoral roll.
Delhi will go to the polls on February 5.