New Delhi: Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri, in a sharp retort to allegations by AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal accused him of spreading lies over the issue of Rohingya settlements in Delhi. In a post on social media platform X Puri denied any involvement in providing EWS flats to Rohingya refugees and blamed AAP leaders for settling the refugees in Delhi for political purposes.
“Even the snow doesn’t melt in the sunshine of lies; the truth is still like a rock! By spreading the same lie again and again, it will not turn into truth. Yes, it will definitely prove you are a liar again and again,” Puri wrote on X.
Puri accuses AAP MLAs of settling Rohingya in Delhi
He added, “The truth is that till date no EWS flat has been given to any Rohingya anywhere. Kejriwal ji’s MLA settled them in Delhi and got their voter cards made by giving them free ration, water and electricity along with Rs 10,000 to each one.”
Puri further alleged that AAP’s actions, including providing voter IDs and other benefits to Rohingyas, endangered national security. “Kejriwal’s repeated support to Rohingya is like playing with the country’s security! This is the height of low-level politics,” Puri said.
Earlier in the day, Kejriwal lashed out at Puri, accusing him of settling Rohingya refugees and demanded his arrest. Addressing a press conference, he said, “I request them to arrest Hardeep Singh Puri. He has all the data on where he settled Rohingyas and how. He tweeted and gave the information. Hardeep Singh Puri and Amit Shah have all the data on how and where they have settled Rohingyas.”
AAP on the offensive against BJP, Puri
Kejriwal also blamed the BJP for attempting to vilify the refugees while allegedly facilitating their settlement in the national capital. Senior AAP leaders, including Atishi, Sanjay Singh, and Manish Sisodia, backed Kejriwal’s claims, referring to a 2022 tweet by Puri that, according to them, indicated BJP’s involvement in housing Rohingyas in Delhi’s Bakkarwala area.
The BJP, however, refuted AAP’s accusations. Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva accused AAP of using baseless rhetoric to deflect from BJP’s campaign to expel illegal immigrants, including Rohingyas and Bangladeshis, from the country.
“Ever since we launched a campaign to disenfranchise illegally-residing Rohingya Muslims and Bangladeshis and expel them from the country, Kejriwal and other AAP leaders have been resorting to false claims to divert attention,” Sachdeva said.
