NEW DELHI: AAP MLA Naresh Balyan was arrested by the Delhi Police Crime Branch on Saturday in connection with an alleged extortion case from 2023 after the BJP released an audio clip allegedly featuring Balyan discussing extortion plans with a gangster to target a businessman.
Releasing the audio clip, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia had accused AAP of evolving into a “party of extortionists and gangsters.” He claimed that the audio recording revealed Balyan’s involvement in threats and intimidation to extort money from a builder, asserting that such activities occurred with the tacit consent of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal.
“The corrupt AAP has now turned into a party of hardcore criminals. With the consent of Arvind Kejriwal, AAP’s MLA is both a criminal and a gangster,” Bhatia alleged.
Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva joined Bhatia in accusing AAP of harboring individuals engaged in criminal conduct while criticizing its leadership for allegedly ignoring such behavior.
This comes days after AAP criticized the BJP-led Central government and Union home minister Amit Shah for the alleged rise in crime rates in Delhi.
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal accused Shah of making Delhi the “gangster and extortion capital” of India and expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in the capital, alleging a rise in gang violence, extortion calls targeting businessmen, and frequent shootings over the past two years. He compared the scenario to the underworld dominance in Mumbai during the 1990s.