After Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Devinder Sehrawat wrote a letter to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, complaining that women were being exploited in Punjab in return of or giving promise of ticket, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday said the extent of degeneration of the party that claimed to bring in cleanliness in the politics is so huge that today the AAP is mired in a series of sex and corruption scandals.
"The extent of degeneration of the party that claimed to bring in cleanliness in the politics is so huge that today the AAP is mired in a series of sex and corruption scandals and has become the cesspool of indecent behaviour and unscrupulous behaviour towards women," said BJP spokesperson G.V.L. Narsimha Rao told ANI.
He added that anyone could possibly call it a rumour if one person had talked about it, but now it was a common knowledge.
"Practically everyone ,who is near to the ground in Punjab, is saying that the AAP is seeking sexual favours for considering someone for tickets in the state. The AAP needs to apologise to the people of the country, particularly to the people of Delhi, where they have given up the governance. And, they also need to convince the people that this party does not comprise of only unscrupulous people and action is actually taken against such people," added the BJP spokesperson.
He alleged that the AAP was making attempts to put a lid on all kinds of negative activities that had been going on.
"Kejriwal himself has been protecting such candidates, such individuals and only when the matter becomes public and the face becomes scarred, then Kejriwal indulges in some public stunt of taking action. I think it's high time the AAP apologise the people of Delhi for completely misgoverning Delhi and using their positions only for perks, for sexual exploitation, and for indulging in acts of corruption, besides acting illegally in a number of matters," said Rao.
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In the letter to Kejriwal, Col. Sehrawat stated, "I saw disturbing reports about women are being exploited in Punjab in return of or giving promise of ticket. I am meeting people in Chandigarh to check the position on the ground. The MLAs of Delhi are unaware about what is being done by Sanjay Singh, Durgesh etc as party representatives in Punjab. Dilip Pandey is doing same in Delhi. Fermenting trouble in constituencies etc his photos with girls have surfaced regularly. Now the situation is getting indefensible and disgraceful. Action needs to be taken to remove rotten elements."
With the National Commission for Women (NCW) summoning AAP national spokesperson Ashutosh for defending his sacked colleague Sandeep Kumar, an accused in a 'sex tape' scandal, the BJP spokesperson said if the AAP has any scruples they must remove him from the party forthwith and also he should apologise personally.
Accusing Kejriwal of doublespeak, Rao said, "The fact that Arvind Kejriwal or the AAP has not taken action against Ashutosh, clearly shows that this is a game being played by Kejriwal, who is speaking in two different voices, taking action against Sandeep Kumar and at the same time using his own colleagues to defend Kumar and comparing him with the historical greats of this country. It shows that the lowly politics is being pursued by the AAP."
Asserting that Aushutosh will be expelled from the AAP, if they (AAP) have an iota of respect for Mahatma Gandhi, the BJP leader said, "What Ashutosh has done is unpardonable, bringing in names of stalwarts and greatest personalities like Mahatma Gandhi into this discussion about a minister, who is indulging in a criminal behaviour against women, is certainly unpardonable. Action needs to be taken against Ashutosh."
Lashing out at NCW chief Lalitha Kumaramangalam, Ashutosh asked should he be punished for simply voicing his opinions.
After receiving a notice from a NCW, Ashutosh took to Twitter and accused Kumaramangalam of still being a BJP member.
"Notice recd from NCW. Should I be hanged for writing a column? Is india turning into a fascist state? Ms Mangalam as a chairperson of NCW, you should not lie on a national TV that u r not BJP member.Wikipedia writes You are still a member," he said in a series of tweets.
He called on the NCW Chief to look at Wikipedia, where it clearly states that she is still a member of the 'BJP National Executive'.
The NCW yesterday summoned Ashutosh, over his blog where he allegedly defended the sacked AAP minister Sandeep Kumar, who was expelled from the party after a tape emerged showing him in a compromising position with two women.
"We found that the blog was very objectionable as the tone used against women was very demeaning. First, he (Ashutosh) jumped the gun in trying to defend someone who as it turns out is actually guilty," Kumaramangalam said in a press conference here.
Further stating that instead of showing restraint towards what was a "very patriarchal attitude towards women", she said that the party spokesperson gave examples of various people who have had consensual sex with various women.
"The fact that is most objectionable is that he almost has objectified women," she added.
Col. Sehrawat too stated that justification put forward by Ashutosh are not as per the acceptable value systems, while asking Kejriwal to let the people know that "we still believe that we will change politics".