AAP MLA Haji Ishraq Khan meets Delhi BJP chief, dismisses 'rumour' of joining saffron party

Setting off the rumour mill, AAP MLA Haji Ishraq Khan met Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari on Thursday, even as the Arvind Kejriwal-led party has moved a petition before the speaker of the Legislative Assembly seeking disqualification of two of its MLAs under the anti-defection law.

Khan rubbished the "rumour" that he had any plans to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while claiming that he met Tiwari regarding construction of a girls' college in his constituency, Seelampur.

"There is a land of the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation department in Seelampur constituency. Three years ago, I had demanded using this land for construction of a girls' college. I met Tiwari to remind him of the demand and he assured his help for it," he told PTI.

However, sources in the Delhi BJP said there was "more than what met the eye" since during the recent Lok Sabha election, many Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs, who wanted to quit the party, were in touch with senior leaders of the saffron party.

Former Union minister Vijay Goel had claimed during the parliamentary polls that 14 AAP legislators, who felt "frustrated and humiliated" in the party, were in touch with him.

The AAP has hinted that it can take a similar action against other rebel MLAs as it has done against two of its lawmakers -- Devinder Sehrawat and Anil Bajpai.

Delhi BJP's media relations head Neelkant Bakshi said Khan paid a courtesy visit to Tiwari.

"We are a party of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas' ideology. So, anybody can come and meet the party president. Haji Ishraq is the MLA from an Assembly segment, which is part of the North East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency represented in parliament by Tiwari," he said.

The AAP had, on June 10, moved a petition in the Delhi Assembly seeking disqualification of Sehrawat (the MLA from Bijwasan) and Bajpai (the Gandhi Nagar MLA), who joined the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Both Sehrawat and Bajpai had said they would respond to the notice of disqualification after consultation with lawyers.