AAP heckled us during discussion on sealing drive, alleges BJP

NEW DELHI: The tiff between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is out in the open again. The BJP has alleged that the AAP members led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal insulted them when the two parties came face to face to discuss the issue of sealing in Delhi.

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari claimed that AAP members misbehaved with BJP leaders. BJP leader Vijender Gupta also claimed that he was heckled by AAP leaders due to which he fell on the ground.

Reacting to the ruckus, Kejriwal said that the BJP leaders wanted to have a conversation in private but we asked them to have the chat in front of all AAP legislators and the media. "What is the problem is discussing the issue in front of everyone? Why did BJP want to discuss issues in a private meeting," Kejriwal asked.

Delhi BJP’s general secretary Ravinder Gupta had on Monday written to Kejriwal, saying that Manoj Tiwari, its MPs and MLAs will go to the CM's residence at 9 am on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing sealing drive.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal stated that the Delhi government will approach the Supreme Court seeking a temporary ban on sealing drive.

Kejriwal had on Monday written to Lt Governor Anil Baijal seeking to meet him on Tuesday, along with all BJP and AAP MLAs, MPs and councillors to find a solution to the sealing issue. 

In his letter to the L-G, the CM had said: "As the (sealing) matter comes under you, I along with (BJP) MPs and MLAs, also AAP MLAs and councillors will come to you. As they will reach my residence at 9 am, I hope that we all will come to your residence at 9.30 am," he said.

The ruling AAP and the BJP have levelled allegations against each other over the issue of sealing drive being carried out by the saffron party-led civic bodies in the national capital.

The AAP has demanded that the Central government should either bring an ordinance or amend Delhi Master Plan 2021 to stop sealing. The BJP, on the other hand, demanded that the AAP dispensation should come out with a notification on mix land use to give a relief to the city’s traders.

Municipal corporations in Delhi have undertaken the sealing drive initiated by a Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee. Commercial premises have been sealed for failing to deposit conversion charges according to provisions in Master Plan 2021.