NEW DELHI: Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva on Saturday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of "extorting money from the public" in the national Capital.
This accusation came after the BJP released an alleged audio clip of AAP MLA Naresh Balyan purportedly discussing extortion with a gangster to target a businessman.
Speaking to IANS, Sachdeva said, "Arvind Kejriwal's criminal face is now evident. He is out on bail, and his MLA is involved in looting the public. According to the audio clips circulating on social media, Naresh Balyan, the MLA from Uttam Nagar, is giving tips to gangsters, instructing them to threaten people and extort money, which is then shared."
"This is the condition of the AAP MLAs, who were elected to serve the public but are now exploiting them. This exposes the true criminal face of the AAP, " he further said.
Earlier, during a press conference, Sachdeva alleged that Balyan was directly involved in extortion and demanded that investigating agencies act swiftly.
"The MLA himself is accused of using gangsters to extort money from his close associates, including a builder. Agencies must investigate and ensure such individuals are put behind bars. The safety of Delhiites is at stake, and action is necessary based on the evidence provided, " he said.
Sachdeva raised concerns about the alleged connections between Balyan and gangster Kapil Sangwan, also known as "Nandu, " who is reportedly operating from London.
"Earlier, BJP accused Naresh Balyan of collusion with Kapil Sangwan. Sangwan is a Najafgarh resident and has been accused in the murder case of INLD leader Nafe Singh, " Sachdeva said.
He also hit out at AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal for deflecting responsibility.
"Kejriwal always attacks the Centre for the deteriorating law and order in Delhi but never addresses issues under his purview like water supply and roads, " Sachdeva told IANS.
He questioned why Kejriwal avoids discussing critical matters such as poor road conditions, water supply issues, electricity bills, or the alleged corruption related to the 'Sheesh Mahal' and the excise policy case.
"He should focus on answering for his governance failures rather than making irrelevant statements. The people of Delhi deserve accountability, " Sachdeva added.