AAP wants to burn down Punjab for power: BJP

New Delhi, Feb 18 (IANS) After 'Sikhs for Justice' denied issuing any letter extending support to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Punjab Assembly polls, the BJP has said that AAP wants to burn down Punjab for power.

A letter announced that Sikhs for Justice's Gurpatwant Pannu has extended support to the AAP in the Assembly polls in Punjab.

After the letter went viral on social media, Pannu released a video clarifying that the letter was fake and they have not announced support to any political party.

BJP national in-charge of information and technology department, Amit Malviya termed it a new low for the AAP.

"This is a new low for the Aam Aadmi Party. The US-based radical outfit Sikhs for Justice denies issuing any letter of support, blames AAP, Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann for releasing the fake letter ahead of 2022 Punjab elections. AAP wants to burn down Punjab for power," Malviya said.

Earlier, former AAP leader and poet Kumar Vishwas alleged that the Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal was hobnobbing with the separatist's elements during 2017 Punjab Assembly polls. On Thursday, AAP Punjab in-charge Raghav Chadha asked why Vishwas hadn't made these claims public before.

Hitting out at AAP for questioning Vishwas's silence, Malviya tweeted, "Why did Kumar Vishwas not speak earlier, is AAP's best defence against charges that Arvind Kejriwal was and perhaps is pandering to separatist elements in Punjab. He first spoke in an interview to @DrMunishRaizada for @TransparencyWS published in Jan 2020. Kejriwal must clarify."

In another tweet Malviya said, "Not just Kumar Vishwas but even Gul Panag had warned Arvind Kejriwal and AAP about their romance with fanatic religious fringe and separatist elements in Punjab in the run up to the 2017 Assembly election. But Kejriwal, in his lust for power, continued on the path of destruction."

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit S. Channi also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order an impartial enquiry in Vishwas' allegation. "As CM of Punjab, I request Hon'ble PM @narendramodi Ji to order an impartial enquiry in the matter of @DrKumarVishwas Ji's video. Politics aside, people of Punjab have paid a heavy price while fighting separatism. Hon'ble PM needs to address the worry of every Punjabi," Channi tweeted around midnight.