mumbai

Updated: Mar 20, 2018 15:16 IST

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s recent apology to Union minister Nitin Gadkari, for making allegations of irregularities against him in the past, has upset former Aam Aadmi Party (AAM) leader from Mumbai Anjali Damania, who originally made those allegations.

Once a prominent AAP leader, Damania believes there is more here than meets the eye. “This is not as simple as it seems, it seems to be some big game plan,” she said.

Damania had claimed that there are irregularities in Gadkari’s Purti Group of Companies, but Kejriwal has now issued an apology as the AAP claims the charges were made by Damania without any tangible proof.

The activist is upset at the way her allegations have been dismissed, and said she feels deceived by Kejriwal. “It was at his insistence that I left my son, who was giving his Class 12 exams, and contested against Gadkari in Nagpur. Now, to hear Arvind say that I made certain statements without regard to its verifiability is painful,” she said.

The AAP calls Kejriwal’s step a strategic move. “Our basic aim is governance, and we feel Kejriwal’s time is being wasted in courts. We believe Damania’s allegations were true, but the papers she submitted to us in the Purti case are not enough to substantiate them in a court of law. Arvind was facing the heat, so he apologised,” said Priti Sharma Menon, national spokesperson, AAP.

Damania insists that she collected irrefutable proof against Gadkari and handed it over to Kejriwal. “I want to know how many times Arvind has attended court, and if there is even one person who has been jailed in a defamation case,” she said, adding that there are 24 such defamation cases against her and she would fight them till her last breath.

In February 2015, following allegations of horse-trading against Kejriwal, Damania quit the AAP. Back then, she had tweeted: “I quit. I have not come to AAP for this nonsense. I believed him. I backed Arvind for principles, not horse-trading.” Later, Damania became active in political circles when she started a campaign against then revenue minister Eknath Khadse, who was forced to resign.