NEW DELHI, Apr 6: Latching onto findings of Shunglu committee, the Congress asked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to step down from his post immediately and demanded the Centre initiate a CBI probe into the panel’s report.
DPCC chief Ajay Maken charged the AAP-led government of engaging into nepotism and corruption by allegedly allotting public land and properties to the ruling party, its MLAs and relatives and friends of state ministers.
The party has also demanded a Supreme Court-directed CBI probe against AAP.
A copy of the report in his possession, Maken directed his attack towards Kejriwal in particular, stating the latter allegedly posted and promoted his kin Nikunj Agarwal in health ministry and sent him on foreign tours at Government’s expenses “flouting rules”.
Maken also flagged the issue of the State Government allotting a minister’s bungalow for the AAP to set up its office and giving residential accommodation to DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal.
Referring to the report, he questioned appointment of health minister Satyender Jain’s daughter as mission director of Delhi State Health Mission.
Maken alleged the state government appointed AAP functionaries on Delhi Dialogue Commission (DDC) and as advisors to ministers, allegedly paying hefty salaries ranging from Rs 80,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh through public exchequer.
“The friends and relatives of AAP leaders are being promoted and posted. What is this if not nepotism?
“If Kejriwal has an iota of conscience, he should resign from his post immediately…The matter be probed by CBI,” Maken insisted.
Recalling Kejriwal had leveled charges of irregularities in Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), led by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley till 2013, Maken said there is no difference between AAP’s DDC and the cricket body.
“…What were the irregularities in DDCA? Nepotism. There is no difference between Kejriwal’s DDC and Jaitley’s DDCA. Both have bred nepotism, promoting and posting close ones on the bodies, flouting rules,” Maken charged.
Jaitley has already denied all allegations of irregularities in the DDCA during his 13-year tenure as DDCA president.
The Congress leader further accused the State Government of sending its ministers on “non-statutory” foreign tours on 24 occasions in 18 months of its rule, spending public money.
Among the ministers and AAP leaders, who went abroad sans seeking approval of L-G, include Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Jain and Ashish Khetan, Maken alleged.
He also picked holes in Kejriwal’s recent announcement of abolishing property tax.
The Congress said the President should take note of findings of serious regularities and cases of siphoning of public funds, for political gains, pointed out in the report.
Maken said it is the Kejriwal Government which had in 2015 allowed BJP-ruled MCDs to impose property tax on unauthorised colonies in the national capital.
“Now, how come he says that property tax will be made zero? He only has permitted MCDs to levy house tax on unauthorised colonies,” the Congress leader said. (PTI)
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