Sanjay Singh and Arvind Kejriwal lash out at BJP over alleged voter list tampering; Nadda clarifies intent behind verification requests
New Delhi, December 18: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused BJP National President JP Nadda of branding residents of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Purvanchal living in Delhi as “Rohingyas and Bangladeshis,” escalating tensions ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections.
AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh slammed Nadda, alleging that the BJP is deliberately removing names of Delhi voters from these regions under the pretext of identifying illegal migrants.
AAP’s Allegations: Insult to Purvanchal Residents
Speaking to reporters, AAP MP Sanjay Singh condemned the BJP’s alleged actions:
“If you call the people of UP and Bihar who have been living here for 40-50 years as Rohingyas and want to remove their names from the voter list, won’t we raise our voice? This is an insult to the people of UP, Bihar, and Purvanchal, and we will fight against it,” he said.
AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal also criticized Nadda’s remarks, calling them an affront to Purvanchal voters.
In a post on X, Kejriwal stated:
“BJP President Nadda ji calling Purvanchal brothers Rohingyas, Bangladeshis, and infiltrators in Parliament today will prove very costly. BJP must apologize to Delhi’s Purvanchal residents for this insult.”
Kejriwal further alleged that the BJP had approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) to delete the names of over 11,000 voters, claiming they had either shifted or died.
“We randomly verified 500 names from the list and found that 372 individuals are still living there,” Kejriwal said.
BJP’s Clarification: Targeting Infiltrators, Not Citizens
JP Nadda denied AAP’s allegations, stating in the Rajya Sabha that the BJP’s request to scrutinize the voter list was aimed at identifying illegal migrants such as “Rohingyas, Bangladeshis, and infiltrators.”
“We wanted to verify whether AAP has gained power through their votes,” Nadda added, refuting claims of targeting genuine voters.
Political Fallout: AAP vs BJP
The remarks have added fuel to the already charged political atmosphere as Delhi heads into Assembly elections.
Kejriwal warned that the issue would hurt the BJP in the polls:
“BJP’s actions of labeling Purvanchal residents as infiltrators will cost them dearly. The people of Delhi will not tolerate this.”
While BJP emphasized the importance of maintaining the integrity of the voter list, AAP continues to allege that these efforts are a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise Delhi residents from UP, Bihar, and Purvanchal.