The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday slammed BJP leader Parvesh Verma for his “insulting” remark that “thousands of Punjab registration vehicles are roaming around" in the national capital” and called the latter's statement an attack on the legacy and patriotism.
Verma’s statement drew sharp criticism from AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal who took to social media platform X and demanded an apology from the BJP leader.
"There are lakhs of Punjabis living in Delhi whose families and ancestors have made countless sacrifices for the country of Punjabi refugees also live in Delhi who left everything behind during the difficult times of partition and settled in Delhi. Their families have also suffered numerous hardships," Kejriwal wrote in his post.
He added that by calling Punjabis a threat to the country, BJP has insulted their sacrifices.
"Delhi is ruled by Punjabis. By calling Punjabis a threat to the country, the BJP has insulted lakhs of Punjabis living in Delhi. BJP should apologise to the Punjabis."
The controversy arose from Verma’s remarks on Tuesday, where he raised security concerns ahead of Republic Day, alleging that Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP leaders brought thousands of vehicles with Punjab registration numbers into Delhi.
Reacting to his remarks, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann also expressed disapproval, saying, every Punjabi is feeling “extremely pained” and questioning the patriotism of Punjabis in this manner is unacceptable.
Mann made the statement during a rally in Delhi, where he campaigned for AAP candidates in the upcoming assembly elections. He also called out home minister Amit Shah on failing to curb illegal immigration in the country.
The CM said, "Amit Shahji, you are neither able to keep the country's border safe nor Delhi. Thousands of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas are coming to the country, don't you have a problem with them? But you are calling Punjabis coming from Punjab to Delhi a threat to the country. You should apologise to Punjabis."
AAP MP and Punjab unit’s spokesperson Malvinder Singh also took a hit at the Verma saying that the party is frustrated as it was losing the polls.
He added, "It shows how much hatred the BJP has for you. It shows the mentality of the BJP towards Punjabis," Kang said.
He demanded BJP to take action against Verma while asking party leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa for his take on the situation.
Verma's response to AAPResponding to the allegations by AAP, Parvesh Verma has filed a Rs 100-crore defamation case against Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann, accusing them of levelling false allegations against him.
Verma said if he wins the case, he plans to use the money for development work in his New Delhi constituency, from where he is contesting the February 5 assembly polls against Kejriwal.
He hit back at AAP, saying, "I don't need to mention what I and my family have done for the Sikh community."
"I don't have a problem with their campaigning, but they are influencing voters by distributing CCTV cameras from Chinese companies, liquor, and money," he claimed, adding he has filed complaints with the police and the Election Commission.
The BJP leader also accused Kejriwal of resorting to lies out of frustration over his party's "imminent defeat."
Delhi heads to the polls on 5th February, with votes set to be counted on 8th February. A three-way contest is expected between AAP, BJP, and Congress. While Congress, once dominant in Delhi, has failed to win a single seat in the last two elections, AAP secured a landslide victory in 2020, winning 62 out of 70 seats, leaving BJP with 8.
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