"Happy not distributing liquor like Arvind Kejriwal": Parvesh Verma after Atishi accuses BJP of distributing cash to voters

New Delhi [India], December 25 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former West Delhi MP Parvesh Verma on Wednesday denied Delhi Chief Minister Atishi's allegations that the BJP was "distributing cash to voters" in AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal's constituency, saying that he was "happy" that he was not distributing liquor as Kejriwal did in Delhi.
"Yesterday, I saw Arvind Kejriwal's tweet, and today I heard the press conference of Delhi's temporary Chief Minister. AAP MP Sanjay Singh is also roaming around my house. Rashtriya Swabhiman Sansthan, started by my father around 25 years ago, has been helping people and has redeveloped two villages devastated by an earthquake in Gujarat and four villages in Odisha destroyed by a cyclone," Verma told reporters.
He added that the organisation spent crores of rupees saving lives during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing oxygen concentrators and opening a care centre in West Delhi.
"Today, I feel very good that Atishi ji and Kejriwal ji are appreciating the work we are doing. I have witnessed the misery of women here, which Kejriwal ji could not see in the last 11 years. When I met them, they told me they neither have pensions nor ration cards, jobs, or access to medical facilities. I decided that my organisation would create a scheme to help them on a monthly basis," he said.
"I am happy about one thing: at least I am not distributing liquor, which the Chief Minister of Delhi (Arvind Kejriwal) was distributing all over Delhi," he added.
Following notices issued by senior officials of the Delhi government disavowing the Aam Aadmi Party's registration process for two schemes in the national capital, Chief Minister Atishi accused the BJP of distributing money to voters in the New Delhi assembly constituency, where Arvind Kejriwal contests elections.
Atishi claimed that BJP leader and former West Delhi MP Parvesh Verma was "caught distributing money" at his official residence.
"The BJP is distributing money to people by checking their voter cards in the New Delhi assembly constituency, from where Arvind Kejriwal contests elections. Today, Parvesh Verma was caught red-handed giving out money at his official residence, which he received as an MP. Women from various slums in the New Delhi constituency were called there and given Rs 1,100 in an envelope," Atishi said at a press conference.
She alleged that crores of rupees were in Verma's house and urged the Election Commission to instruct the ED and Delhi Police to raid Verma's official residence and arrest him.
"I want to inform the ED and CBI that cash worth crores of rupees is still at Parvesh Verma's house. I urge the Election Commission to have the ED and Delhi Police raid his official residence and arrest him immediately. The BJP is trying to win a lost election. We will officially lodge a complaint with the police and the Election Commission. The pamphlet used for distributing money also features pictures of PM Modi and JP Nadda," she said.
This controversy follows public notices issued by the Department of Women and Child Development, which termed the Mahila Samman Yojana as "non-existent." The department stated that no such scheme has been officially notified.
In the notice, the department confirmed that any private individual or political party collecting information through forms and registrations in the name of the Mahila Samman Yojana is "committing fraud."
"It is clarified that no such scheme has been notified by the Delhi Government," the department stated, noting that people have been visiting government hospitals and offices to inquire about the nonexistent scheme.
Assembly polls in Delhi are expected to be held in early 2025. In the 2020 elections, AAP won 62 of the 70 seats, while the BJP secured eight.