Sting operation: AAP cries conspiracy, Ilmi offers to resign

Aam Aadmi Party leader Shazia Ilmi on Thursday night offered to withdraw her nomination from Delhi elections over a sting operation that allegedly exposed how the party was accepting funds in cash. [caption id=“attachment_1242929” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Shazia Ilmi. Firstpost[/caption] Speaking to Times Now, Ilmi said she would rather resign than tarnish the image of her party. “I am offering to resign and not contest the upcoming Delhi elections.. I don’t want my party’s name to get spoilt,” she said. After the expose, senior leaders of the AAP including noted psephologist Yogendra Yadav said a committee would be formed and a probe will be completed within 24 hours asking those allegedly exposed in the sting to explain their position in the case. Earlier today, a media portal ‘Media Sarkar’ claimed to have done a sting operation on AAP’s senior leaders including Shazia Ilmi and Kumar Vishwas and alleged that they were involved in “raising funds through illegal means.” The sting operation alleged that several leaders of AAP, who were contacted for their help in recovery of money from individuals and getting land deals done, readily agreed to extend their support in return of donations in cash to AAP. AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal dismissed the sting operation as a conspiracy against his party, but said it will not compromise on the issue of corruption. “We will not spare anyone if found guilty,” he said, adding he knew who were behind it as BJP and Congress have been routed by AAP. The video purportedly showed a reporter meeting Ilmi posing as a representative of a company and sought her help to teach a lesson to a rival company. Initially, Ilmi refused to help the reporter without legal documents, but later allegedly agreed to help her even without documents when the reporter offered her donations in cash. Ilmi is also shown in the video allegedly telling the reporter that the party accepts donations in cash. The sting operations were also done on AAP candidates from Kondli (Manoj Kumar), Sangam Vihar (Dinesh Mohaniya), Okhla (Irfan Ullah Khan), Rohtas Nagar (Mukesh Hooda), Deoli (Prakash) and Palam (Bhawna Gaur). Reacting to allegations of funds misuse by AAP, BJP leader V K Malhotra said the sting operation has “exposed AAP totally”. With PTI inputs