Arvind Kejriwal: Being forced to join BJP, won't bend

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has claimed that he is being forced to join the BJP. His statement came amid a probe into the Aam Aadmi Party's MLA poaching allegations.

"They can hatch any conspiracy against us; I am also firm. I am not going to bend. They are asking me to join BJP, then they are going to leave me alone. But I said that I will never go to BJP, I will never join BJP, not at all," Kejriwal said after laying the foundation stone of a school in Rohini, Delhi.

Kejriwal has also alleged that the BJP-led Centre spends just 4 per cent of the national budget on schools and hospitals as opposed to the Delhi government spending 40 per cent of its budget every year on these. The Delhi Chief Minister also said his jailed AAP colleagues Manish Sisodia and Satyendra Jain have been locked up because of their good work.

"Today all agencies are after us. Manish Sisodia's fault is that he was building good schools. Satyendra Jain's fault is that he was getting good hospitals and mohalla clinics built. Had Manish Sisodia not been working for the betterment of school infrastructure, he would not have been arrested. They created all sorts of conspiracies, but couldn't deter us," Arvind Kerjiwal said.

Arvind Kejriwal's comments came hours after Delhi Police went to AAP Minister Atishi's house earlier today to serve notice in connection with the MLAs' poaching claims. The AAP has claimed that the BJP attempted to poach as many as seven of their MLAs.

Since, as Atishi was not at home, the notice was received by her Officer on Special Duty (OSD). Atishi has been asked to respond to the notice by February 5.

Kejriwal has also been served notice in connection with the poaching claims. On Saturday the Delhi Police Crime Branch served a notice to the Chief Minister, asking him to reply within three days in connection to a probe into the poaching claims.

Police have asked Arvind Kejriwal to join the probe into the allegations and reveal the names of the AAP MLAs who were allegedly approached by the BJP.