Does RSS Support BJP Distributing Cash for Votes? Kejriwal to Bhagwat

New Delhi : In the lead-up to the Delhi Assembly elections in February 2025, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal has written a pointed letter to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, questioning the RSS’s stance on the BJP’s alleged distribution of cash to voters and the deletion of voter names, particularly targeting Purvanchali and Dalit communities. Kejriwal has asked whether the RSS supports these practices, which he believes undermine Indian democracy.

In the letter, dated December 30, 2024, Kejriwal sought clarification on reports that the RSS would actively campaign for the BJP in the upcoming elections. He raised several key questions, including whether the RSS condones vote-buying and voter suppression, which have been reportedly taking place ahead of the polls.

“Does the RSS endorse vote-buying and voter suppression?” Kejriwal asked. He also expressed concerns over allegations that BJP leaders were involved in distributing money to “buy” votes and that a significant number of voters’ names, especially from the Purvanchali and Dalit communities, had been deleted from electoral rolls.

Kejriwal warned that such actions could severely weaken the democratic fabric of India and urged Bhagwat to reflect on whether the RSS should support such behaviour. “Don’t you think that the BJP is weakening Indian democracy with such behaviour?” he wrote.

In response, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva dismissed the letter as an attempt to divert attention from the Delhi government’s failures. He accused Kejriwal of resorting to distractions and false allegations to cover up his party’s shortcomings.

Sachdeva also turned the tables by accusing Kejriwal of receiving funds from “dubious entities in Canada,” enrolling illegal voters from Bangladesh, and issuing arbitrary directives. These allegations were made in a bid to deflect attention from the AAP leader’s own actions and governance.

The exchange of letters has set the stage for what is expected to be a highly charged election season in Delhi, with both the AAP and BJP positioning themselves on the political offensive as the Assembly elections approach.