AAP legislator wished to join BJP, says Sher Singh Dagar

New Delhi, Sep 8: Delhi BJP vice president Sher Singh Dagar, accused by the AAP of poaching its legislator Dinesh Mohaniya, on Monday said the Aam Aadmi Party leader met him as he wanted to join the party, but a defensive BJP distanced itself from the leader.

"The AAP MLA had come to meet me 45 days ago and even yesterday (Sunday). Since the BJP has formed the government at the centre, he wanted to join our party," Dagar said at a press conference here.

"He (Mohaniya) came to meet me and I never went (to meet Mohaniya). There was no talk of money and I did not offer him anything," he said.

Dagar said a video released by the Aam Aadmi Party was not genuine and if the charges against him were proven, he would quit politics.

"You can see my 44 years' record. I have not done anything wrong. If the party wants to expel me, they can... I will file a defamation case against the AAP," Dagar said.

The AAP Monday released a video which showed Dagar allegedly offering a plum post and money to Mohaniya in a bid to help the Bharatiya Janata Party take power in Delhi.

The video put the BJP on the backfoot, forcing it to distance itself from Dagar and saying he met Mohaniya in his personal capacity.

In fact, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra, who was to join Dagar at his press conference Monday afternoon, never showed up.

"Though I have not seen the video, but even if he (Dagar) interacted with the (AAP) MLA, it was in his personal capacity and not as a leader of the BJP. This is an attempt to defame the party," said BJP leader Vijender Gupta.

BJP national secretary R.P. Singh demanded that the tape be tested in a forensic lab and adviced Dagar to resign from the party post till proven innocent.

"The AAP has not shown the complete video and only the edited parts. We demand that the video be tested in a forensic lab," Singh told IANS.

"I think he should resign from the party till the matter is investigated," Singh added.

Delhi has been under President's rule since AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal resigned as chief minister Feb 14 after 49 days in office.

IANS