AAP government has set new records of corruption: Anurag Takur

New Delhi, Jul 25: Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday attacked Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and accused him of shielding the "corrupt" after Delhi's lieutenant governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the Delhi Excise Policy over alleged violations of procedural lapses.

 

 

 

Union Minister further said that the "AAP government has set new records of corruption."

 

 

 

"You've sheltered the corrupt and the way in which you lied on TV yesterday and couldn't respond to any of BJP's allegations shows that LG's recommendation to MHA holds ground. Corrupt ministers should resign. A corrupt man like you has no right to be in power," Union Minister Anurag Thakur told ANI. Highlighting Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain, who's in judicial custody in connection with a money laundering case, Thakur said, "You're (Arvind Kejriwal) silent on LG's letter to MHA for CBI probe into corruption allegations. It shows corruption by your people under your nose. There were allegations against Satyendar Jain who lost his memory in jail. Will Manish Sisodia too lose memory?." The union minister also stressed that the Delhi chief minister made tall claims but has set new records of corruption. "One corruption instance after the other is coming out from your departments. You made tall claims before entering politics but your government has set new records of corruption," he added. His remarks came after Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the alleged violations of the Arvind Kejriwal-led government's new contentious excise policy including "deliberate and gross procedural lapses" made by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia to "provide post tender undue benefits to liquor licensees." A report on July 8 by the Chief Secretary established prima facie violations of GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR) 1993, Delhi Excise Act 2009, and Delhi Excise Rules 2010. The report indicates substantively financial quid pro quo at the top political level and that the Delhi excise policy was implemented with the sole aim of benefitting private liquor barons for financial benefits to individuals at the highest rungs of the government leading up to Manish Sisodia.

 

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The Minister in charge of the Excise Department, Manish Sisodia took and got executed, major decisions/actions in violation of the statutory provisions and the notified Excise Policy that had huge financial implications, officials at the LG office said. The LG office said that Sisodia also extended "undue financial favors" to the liquor licensees much after the tenders had been awarded and thus caused huge losses to the exchequer.