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A day after he was sacked by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Sandeep Kumar of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claimed that he was being ‘targeted’ because he is a Dalit.
On Wednesday, Kejriwal removed the cabinet minister at the back of an “objectionable” video.
The Quint has access to the video that shows the minister in a compromising position, but has editorially decided to not publish it. As the issue intensified, the sacked minister said it wasn’t him in the video.
Kumar is the Minister for Social Welfare, Women and Child, SC and ST, Language – and was previously involved with Anna Hazare and his team in the anti-corruption movement.
On Thursday, an investigation into the leaked CD was reportedly undertaken by the Delhi police. The CD was given to the Crime Branch on the order of commissioner of police, sources in the Delhi Police said.
A delegation of Delhi BJP on Thursday met Kumar and lodged a complaint against the sacked AAP minister, Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, accusing them of “misusing their public authority against women”.
The CD was sent to the AAP office, and thus accessed by the Delhi Chief Minister.
Kejriwal has maintained that AAP stood for propriety in public life. And ousting Kumar was to uphold the standards of the party.
Even the other party members reiterated Kejriwal’s stand. “AAP has zero tolerance for crime and corruption,” Sisodia said.
The party’s social media head Ankit Lal attacked the ABP news channel for airing the video.
The video has given opposition parties an opportunity to corner the Delhi government.
Satish Upadhyay, President of the BJP’s Delhi unit, questioned the timing of the sacking – calling it a cover to save AAP’s face.
Speaking to CNN News18, senior BJP leader RP Singh called the AAP a “bunch of jokers”. He further asked Kejriwal to reassess what the party stands for.
Congress leader Kiran Walia, however, rebuked the party leadership over the issue, adding that it is shocking to find that a minister handling the women and child development portfolio was caught in the midst of a scandal.
BJP’s GVL Narasimha Rao said the party that spoke of bringing a new form of governance is declining with each passing day.
Last year, Kejriwal had sacked his Food and Supplies Minister Asim Ahmed Khan at a televised press conference over allegations of corruption.
Khan was sacked for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 6 lakh from a builder.
The AAP supremo had declared that decision for Khan’s removal was taken as part of the party’s zero tolerance towards corruption policy.
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Published: 31 Aug 2016,08:58 PM IST