Kejriwal led AAP seems to be embroiled in yet another controversy. This time a close aide of AAP MLA from Mehrauli, Naresh Yadav, has been accused of “facilitating the voter registration drive for Bangladeshi nationals”. The story has come to light from a slum cluster located near Vasant Kunj in Delhi. A Vasant Kunj resident on Tuesday filed a police complaint in which he accused that the AAP MLA, Naresh Yadav has been trying to woo “Bangladeshi immigrants” living in the slum cluster, by facilitating a voter registration drive. A group of people reached the municipal school in Masoodpur during a voter registration camp and alleged that Bangladeshi nationals were getting themselves enrolled. This led to a controversy over the sensitive issue.
These accusations against the MLA came as a fresh trouble for the Kejriwal led party. BJP lashed out at the AAP for attempting the registration drive as a “cheap attempt” at garnering support ahead of the 2019 polls. Sangeeta Sharma, the RWA convenor of Sahyog Apartments in Vasant Kunj confirmed that she got a call from a resident of Masoodpur village that AAP workers were getting fake voter ID cards made for the Bangladeshi nationals, Jai Hind Camp, a slum in Vasant Kunj. She further stated that she got a police complaint filed at the Vasant Kunj police station. A police official at the Vasant Kunj police station confirmed that a complaint has been lodged and that “investigations were on”. Police are yet to arrest anyone or register a case in this matter.
Meanwhile, the BJP has come down heavily on the AAP making it clear that the AAP must care for our own people, instead of catering to the interests of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Delhi BJP president, Manoj Tiwari said that these (Bangladeshi immigrants) are anti-social elements who indulge in criminal activities and take away jobs from the locals. However, instead of taking this matter seriously, AAP has tried countering the BJP. The AAP has claimed that it was only trying to get the slum inhabitants registered and if any Bangladeshi immigrants got themselves registered then it is for the police to investigate. This statement is, at the least, casual and careless. AAP, being a political party, cannot remain oblivious to national security concerns.
AAP’s love for the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants is not new. A few months ago, it had come to light that air conditioners were installed at Bangladeshi immigrants camps in Delhi, whereas Hindu refugees coming from Pakistan were living in pathetic conditions. This shows that the AAP has great interest in illegal immigrants for the purposes of securing the muslim vote bank. After all, AAP belongs to the pseudo secular group of parties and therefore, this does not come as a surprise.
However, this is not just about AAP’s pseudo secularism and vote bank politics. This is also about grave national security concerns as well. If these immigrants have been given voter ID cards without following the due process of law, then it amounts to granting legitimacy to illegal immigrants. It is the worst form of appeasement politics, as the voter ID cards are being provided without proper verification only in order to carve out a new vote bank. This latest expose has unmasked the true face of the Kejriwal led party.