BJP wants CM to apologise on NRC comments

New Delhi : The Delhi BJP on Friday sent legal notices to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj seeking an apology for their comments against party BJP chief Manoj Tiwari on the NRC issue.

The notices, sent by Delhi BJP's media relations head Neelkant Bakshi, on behalf of Tiwari, threatened Kejriwal and Bhardwaj of civil and criminal action if they failed to apologise within the next two days.

BJP's Purvanchal Morcha had on Thursday staged a massive demonstration near Kejriwal's residence while a police complaint was also lodged against the Chief Minister and Bhardwaj alleging that their statements concerning the National Register of Citizens (NRC) may create a law and order situation in Delhi.

Kejriwal had on Wednesday said that Tiwari will be the first one to be evicted from Delhi if the NRC was implemented. The comment was a dig at Tiwari's demand that the NRC should be executed to identify and evict illegal immigrants living in Delhi.

The BJP leaders also accused Kejriwal and Bhardwaj of "spreading misinformation" that people from UP, Bihar and Odisha will be evicted if NRC is implemented in the national capital.

The notice quoted a tweet by Bhardwaj where he said in Hindi: "Manoj Tiwari ji people from UP, Rajasthan, Odisha and Bihar come to Delhi for employment, they are not thieves, they are equal partners in Delhi's development. If NRC is implemented in Delhi they will have to leave Delhi. Why are you against them?"

The notice stated that the BJP leaders are demanding NRC in Delhi to "check" Rohingyas and illegal migrants from other countries living here. The BJP and the ruling AAP have locked horns over a host of issues including the NRC and the war of words is only intensifying with Assembly polls due early next year.