No Pressure: AAP’s Kailash Gahlot After Joining BJP; ‘He’s A Free Man,’ Says Kejriwal

New Delhi: Former Delhi minister and senior AAP leader Kailash Gahlot, who resigned from the party on November 17, joined the BJP on Monday and said this political move was “not taken under any pressure”.

The remark came after AAP alleged that Gahlot had “no option” but to leave the party as he came under pressure after Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax raids, which were held against him many times in the last five years.

“I have joined BJP today. This was not an easy decision for me. I have been working for AAP and the people of Delhi since Anna Hazare’s time. Some may think that I made this decision under pressure, but I want to clarify that I have never done anything under anyone’s pressure,” Gahlot remarked.

Ending a day of speculation about his next political move, the Najafgarh MLA joined the party in the presence of former Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva and other top leaders.

Breaking his silence on the resignation Kejriwal said, “He is free, he can go wherever he wants.” The remarks came during a press briefing where Congress leader and former MLA Sumesh Shokeen joined the AAP.

The AAP, which faced a major jolt ahead of the Delhi Assembly election next year, accused the BJP of “conspiring against their leaders” by putting them under pressure using central probe agencies.

AAP announced that Raghuvinder Shokeen, the MLA from Nangloi Jat, will now be added to the Delhi Cabinet replacing Gahlot, who held several portfolios, including Transport, Administrative Reforms, Information & Technology, Home and Women & Child Development.