AAP MLA Atishi slams BJP, calls it a party of ‘hooligans, rapists’

NEW DELHI, (PTI): The BJP is a party of ”hooligans and rapists”, AAP leader Atishi said on Friday, a day after the saffron party felicitated its eight youth wing activists who were arrested over the alleged attack at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence.

Addressing a press conference here, the Kalkaji MLA said the BJP has shown its ”real face” by honouring and garlanding these eight activists.

Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta had on Thursday felicitated eight Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) activists at the party office here after they were released on bail in a case related to the alleged attack at Kejriwal’s residence on March 30.

The Delhi High Court had granted bail to them earlier this week.

By felicitating these eight youth wing activists, the BJP has shown that it ”honours goondas, luccha lafangas (loafers),” Atishi charged.

”By doing this, they (BJP) have sent out a message to their workers across the country that the party will promote them if they indulge in vandalism and eve-teasing,” she said.

Atishi said hooliganism and its promotion is in the DNA of the BJP.

”The BJP is Bharatiya Goonda Party. It is a party of hooligans, rapists and eve-teasers,” she said.

The BJP honours such leaders, promotes them and even rewards them with cabinet berths in its government, Atishi said.

She also listed the names of several BJP leaders, including some Union ministers, who she claimed are facing serious criminal charges.

Today, the people of the country have two options before them. They can choose the BJP, ”which is a party of hooligans and rapists,” or the AAP, which is a party of well-qualified leaders, gentlemen and women, Atishi said.

On March 30, members of the BJYM allegedly vandalised property outside Kejriwal’s residence after his remarks on The Kashmir Files film.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had alleged that the BJP wanted to ”kill” Kejriwal after its debacle in the Punjab polls.

He also alleged that the BJYM activists damaged CCTV cameras and security barriers at the chief minister’s residence during a protest. (PTI)