Delhi Excise Policy row: AAP passes resolution condemning misuse of probe agencies

NEW DELHI,AUG 25:  The Aam Aadmi Party’s apex political organisation, the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) on Wednesday passed a resolution condemning the misuse of ED-CBI and called out BJP’s attempts to poach AAP MLAs by offering them crores in cash.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also summoned the AAP Legislative Party for a meeting at 11 am on Thursday to determine the next steps that will be taken in this direction.

AAP PAC Member and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh informed that the PAC has noted with displeasure that a bogus FIR was filed against Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raid was ordered against him; and that the PAC has reinforced its trust and confidence in the Delhi Dy CM, noting how the CBI failed to find anything against him in the raid.

Referring to and reading from the PAC’s resolution, Sanjay Singh said, “BJP sent a message to Dy CM Manish Sisodia asking him to defect from AAP to BJP if he wants all cases against him to be closed; offered him CM post against the toppling of AAP Government.

After Sisodia’s refusal, BJP contacted several AAP MLAs, threatening them to join BJP by accepting 20 crores in cash or else face harassment and arrest like the Deputy CM. The senior members at the PAC meeting said, “We appeal to the Prime Minister that instead of toppling the state government and sending the CBI and ED after political leaders, you should spend your time-solving people’s problems.”

“People are suffering from both unemployment and inflation today, and you are devoting all of your time to destabilising the governments that have been elected by the masses. The nation wants to know where the crores of rupees that are being spent to buy MLAs are coming from and how has so much money been amassed,” they added.

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP stepped up its attack on the AAP government by launching its Jan Chaupal protest from Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s Assembly constituency Patparganj on Wednesday, alleging it was “shocking” to see that those who came to cleanse the politics were involved in a liquor scam.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal had promised that he will not let a single tainted MLA to sit in the Assembly but has maintained two of his ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendra Jain in his cabinet, despite corruption charges against them, said Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta.

“Its shocking to see that Kejriwal who came to power promising to fight corruption and his party government are involved in scams,” Gupta charged and claimed that the liquor scam involved Rs 10,000 crore.

The CBI currently probing alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Kejriwal government’s new excise police has named Sisodia who holds the Excise portfolio, as one of the accused in its FIR.

The agency had also conducted a raid at the Deputy CM’s residence last Saturday.

“People of Patparganj are ashamed to see that a person whom they thrice elected as MLA is today an accused of liquor scam,” Gupta said.

The AAP has hit back at the BJP saying it was using agencies like CBI to stop Kejriwal in his tracks to make sure the saffron party does not lose the 2024 Lok Sabha Polls.

Gupta claimed that the Kejriwal government went against the recommendations of a committee formed by it to prepare Excise Policy 2021-22.

“Sisodia not only handed over wholesale liquor trade to private operators but increased their commission from 2 per cent to 12 per cent,” he charged.

“Be it the benefit of Rs 144 crores provided to liquor traders in the name of covid impact, refund of Rs 30 crores to airport zone bidder, or rebate of Rs 50 per carton allowed on imported beer, it all indicated corruption in government policy implementation,” he charged.

Delhi BJP general secretary Harsh Malhotra said it was regrettable that a government which came to power assuring a health and education revolution has instead pushed Delhi towards alcoholism.

-TNIE