The AAP on Sunday attacked the BJP for fielding Bansuri Swaraj from the New Delhi constituency in the Lok Sabha elections, claiming she had represented “anti-national forces” in court, even as she hit back at Delhi’s ruling party over its choice of candidate from the seat.

Delhi Minister Atishi said at a press conference that Ms Swaraj — the daughter of late BJP leader and former Union minister Sushma Swaraj — should apologise to the people of the country for taking up such cases and also demanded that the party replace her.

“Today, she will go to women in the New Delhi constituency and ask them for votes,” Atishi said. She also demanded that the BJP replace Ms Swaraj as its candidate from the constituency.

Hitting back, Ms Swaraj questioned the AAP on its choice of candidate, who was allegedly beaten up by his own cadre in Rajendra Nagar on Saturday.

Responding to the AAP’s allegations, she said, “I would like to ask the AAP — why have you fielded a candidate who was beaten up by his own cadre in Rajendra Nagar yesterday (Saturday)?” “They have named a candidate who is not liked by his own party members. They can put allegations against us but people will give them a reply in the elections,” she said.

Somnath Bharti, the INDIA bloc candidate from the New Delhi constituency, also demanded that Swaraj and the BJP should “apologise for such a blunder”.

During the press conference, Atishi also spoke about outgoing BJP MP Harsh Vardhan’s decision to bow out of electoral politics.

Mr Vardhan is known for his honesty and hard work for the country, the people of his parliamentary constituency and his assembly constituency, she said.

“He always raised issues of public interest and spoke for them. I think it has become very clear that just as he was removed from the position of health minister at one time for raising some issues, today, it seems that perhaps his ticket has been cut due to his honesty,” she claimed.

Barring North East Delhi, where the BJP has named Manoj Tiwari for a third term, it has fielded new faces from four constituencies — New Delhi (Swaraj), West Delhi (Kamaljeet Sehrawat), South Delhi (Ramvir Singh Bidhuri) and Chandni Chowk (Praveen Khandelwal).

The BJP is yet to name its candidates for East Delhi — where MP Gautam Gambhir has said he requested party chief JP Nadda to relieve him of his political duties — and North West Delhi.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Two shooters involved in the sensational murder of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) chief Nafe Singh Rathi last month were arrested today. The arrested individuals, identified as Saurabh and Ashish, were captured in a joint operation between Haryana Police and the Special Cell of Delhi Police carried out in Goa. Both shooters are reportedly associated with the notorious Kapil Sangwan gang.

On February 25, at a railway crossing in Haryana’s Jhajjar district, a Toyota Fortuner carrying Mr Rathi came to an unexpected halt, only to be ambushed by a mysterious i20 car. A cinematic scene ensued as five men emerged, unleashing a hail of bullets upon the SUV. The 66-year-old Mr Rathi and a loyal aide were killed, while two others fought for survival in critical condition. The assailants spared the life of Mr Rathi’s nephew, who was driving the vehicle, instructing him to inform the family about the incident.

Jhajjar Superintendent of Police, Arpit Jain, said that efforts are underway to identify and arrest the other shooters. The car used by the attackers has already been recovered. 

The four main suspects in the murder have been identified, and police teams are conducting raids across different states to apprehend them, Mr Jain said. The investigation has also extended to questioning individuals named in the FIR, including former BJP MLA Naresh Kaushik and others like Vijender Rathee, Sandeep Rathee, and Rajpal alias Pale Ram.

One individual, Dilip Singh, a resident of Rajasthan’s Balotra, has been arrested in connection with threat calls made to the two sons of the late INLD leader. However, during questioning, he was not found to have any direct ties to known gangsters or criminal networks. Singh, who was following some gangsters on social media, remains under interrogation, police said.

Nafe Singh Rathi’s family had reported receiving 18 threat calls from an unknown number. Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij announced earlier this week that the investigation into Mr Rathi’s killing would be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Senior INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala has accused the BJP-JJP government in Haryana of failing to provide adequate security to Rathi despite threats to his life.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today responded to the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) eighth summons related to the money laundering probe concerning irregularities in the Delhi excise policy case. Despite deeming the summons as “illegal”, Mr Kejriwal expressed his willingness to answer the probe agency’s questions, proposing a date after March 12.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said Mr Kejriwal will attend the hearing through video conferencing. This move comes after the ED issued its eighth summons on February 27, setting March 4 as the scheduled date for Mr Kejriwal to appear at the agency’s headquarters.

The ongoing probe revolves around alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi excise policy (2021-22). The ED seeks Mr Kejriwal’s statement on matters such as policy formulation and allegations of bribery.

Mr Kejriwal has previously skipped seven summonses issued by the ED, labeling them as “illegal and politically motivated.” The AAP, in a statement, urged the ED to refrain from sending further summonses and await the court’s decision.

The excise policy, introduced to bring an overhaul to the national capital’s liquor business, promised a more modern shopping experience with discounts and offers. However, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena’s order to investigate alleged irregularities prompted the policy’s cancellation. The AAP accuses Mr Saxena’s predecessor, Anil Baijal, of making last-minute changes that adversely affected the policy’s revenue expectations.

Two prominent AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are already under judicial custody in connection with the case. Mr Sisodia, the former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26 last year, while Mr Singh, a Rajya Sabha member, was arrested by the ED on October 5.