Aam Aadmi Party leader Yogendra Yadav has alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi's rallies are sponsored. With the kind of money spent on his rallies, it is no wonder every time Modi addresses a gathering, around one-and-half-lakh people turn up, the senior AAP leader has said.

AAP leader Yogendra Yadav AAP leader Yogendra Yadav

Responding to a question as to why the AAP has not been able to draw more than 50000 supporters in its rallies, Yadav said most established parties spend money to transport people. Otherwise, how else you justify such an unpopular leader as Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda drawing 1.5 lakh people in his rallies, he asked.

Taking a dig at Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Yadav said while the AAP doesn't offer even a cup if tea to its supporters, the Gujarat leader uses helicopters for his rallies and huge posters come up at the Gandhi scion's rallies overnight. No one asks this questions to these parties where the money comes from.

Replying to a question from Headlines Today Editor-in-Large Rahul Kanwal in Seedhi Baat on Aaj Tak as to why the AAP levels baseless allegations against Reliance Industries Limited chairman Mukesh Ambani, Yadav said if Ambani feels AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal is lying about the top industrialist allegedly owning accounts in Swiss banks, he can "file a defamation case" against the former Delhi chief minister. But Ambani is not doing that, which goes to show "something is wrong", Yadav said.

On being asked on what basis the AAP has been saying that Ambani runs the country, the senior party leader said both the BJP and the Congress are trying to shield Ambani, adding, both Arun Shourie and Jaipal Reddy, former oil ministers in the NDA and UPA governments, were removed at the behest of the RIL chief for opposing him. He asked why Narendra Modi was silent over the issue of Ambani, who is running the big parties of the nation.

Asked to comment on why it is that the AAP keeps questioning others, but never offers any reply to question surrounding itseld, especially Somnath Bharti, Yadav said his party never tried to protect the former Delhi law minister. "If there is any proof against him, the AAP will never object to a probe," he said.

Asked on how many seats the AAP will contest elections in the Lok Sabha polls, Yadav said it has not been decided. While there is huge enthusiasm among the party supporters in Haryana, in Kerala there is not enough support. "And the AAP can't follow in the footsteps of Modi, but no one should underestimate us," he said, adding, however, there is no doubt that Modi is getting the advantage of people's anger towards the UPA and the Congress.