AAP Gandhi Nagar MLA joins BJP
New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Gandhi Nagar Anil Bajpai Friday joined the BJP, making him the second lawmaker from the party to join the saffron fold in the last two months.
The move comes at a time when AAP leaders, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, have accused the BJP of indulging in horse trading. Bajpai joined the BJP in the presence of party national vice-president and Delhi BJP in-charge Shyam Jaju and Union minister Vijay Goel at the Delhi unit office here.
"I worked with the AAP for many years. I was hurt by the lack of respect and the peculiar functioning of the party. It has detracted from its original path," he said.
Reacting to the development, senior AAP leader Gopal Rai said that his party has for sometime been accusing the BJP of trying to "buy" its MLAs.
"As far as Bajpai is concerned, no person would say that they have taken money and going to another party, they would be finding faults within the party. Bajpai had himself come from the Congress, so what issue did he have from the alliance talks that were going on?" he said. Rai added that the BJP did not trust its own MPs and hence, was indulging in horse-trading.
"They (BJP) want to come to power in any way possible," he said. On Wednesday, Sisodia had alleged that the BJP had offered Rs 10 crore each to seven AAP MLAs to switch sides.
Bajpai, however, denied having taken any money for joining the BJP and said Kejriwal was in the habit of making allegations and then tendering apologies.
Former Delhi BJP president and Union minister Goel had Thursday claimed that 14 AAP MLAs were in touch with his party and wanted to quit the AAP due to "frustration and humiliation". Three municipal councilors of AAP have also joined the BJP.
Sitting AAP MP from Punjab Harinder Singh Khalsa, who was suspended from the party, joined the BJP in March. The BJP has also got a unique ally in rebel AAP MLA Kapil Mishra, who Thursday announced a week-long campaign to garner support for the BJP candidates on all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi.
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PoK will 'reintegrate with India soon', says head of All India Imam Organisation
Srinagar (PTI): Chief Imam of the All India Imam Organisation, Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, on Friday said Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) would "very soon" be reintegrated with India.
"I want to say one thing to our neighbouring country from standing here in Kashmir that PoK, which is an integral part of India, will definitely rejoin India because the people of PoK want to have a referendum there," Ilyasi told reporters here.
He claimed that the residents of PoK are keen to reintegrate with India, citing the development and prosperity witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir.
"God willing, their 'ghar wapsi' will take place soon. It is the people there who want it. They are happy to see the development of Kashmir. Seeing how Kashmir is progressing today, PoK will be rejoined with India very soon," he said.
The chief Imam said he was very happy to see a "transformed" Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370.
"It has become a new Kashmir. Today's Kashmir has become excellent; there is prosperity throughout, and tourism has increased. The people here are prosperous. There was a time when young people and children here used to throw stones. Today, they have pens in their hands. They are studying," he said.
Referring to last year's terror attack in Baisaran meadows in Pahlagam that left 25 tourists and a local pony handler dead, Ilyasi said tourism had briefly declined after the incident but urged people to visit the region.
"I want to tell everyone that they should visit Kashmir as there is no atmosphere of fear now," he said.
On the conflict in West Asia, he said war benefits no one and expressed hope for peace.
"Wars harm everyone; they are a sign of destruction. I have hopes from our country's Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, and God willing, he will mediate, and the war will end soon... there will be peace and tranquillity," he said.
