The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, 20 September, launched a fresh attack at the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government over the now-withdrawn excise policy, claiming that a person close to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership was awarded the contract for liquor.
During a press conference, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia showed a picture of one Karamjeet Singh Lamba with Kejriwal and AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj, and said that he was not only a partner in Universal Distributors that was awarded the liquor contract, but he had also contested local body polls on an AAP ticket.
Labelling the chief minister as "kattar beimaan," Bhatia demanded that Kejriwal explain why his government distributed the "revdi" (freebies) of corruption to people close to him and his party.
Bhatia alleged that the Delhi government flouted rules and did not maintain any transparency while awarding liquor contracts.
Universal Distributors, Bhatia added, was also one of the major beneficiaries of the AAP government's decision to allegedly withdraw Rs 144 crore due to liquor traders. Its share was Rs 66 crore, he said.
Responding to the allegations, AAP leader Dilip Pandey said, "If the BJP has proof against us, then they should arrest us and send us to jail."
The AAP has asserted that the allegations of corruption in framing the excise policy, now being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), were the BJP's political vendetta as it was rattled by Kejriwal and his party's political rise.
Raids by CBI and ED
The CBI has conducted several raids across Delhi in connection with the now-scrapped excise policy. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also came under the central agency’s scrutiny, with 12-hour-long raids being conducted on the AAP leader’s residence.
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also conducted raids at over 80 locations across the country to investigate into the alleged irregularities and money laundering in the Delhi Excise Policy.
Delhi’s Health Minister Satyendar Jain, who is currently in remand in Tihar Jail, was also questioned in the matter.
Slamming the raids by the federal agencies, Kejriwal had said, "One of their (BJP) leaders says that it is a scam of Rs 8,000 crore, the LG says it is a scam of Rs 144 crore, and the CBI FIR says there is a scam of Rs 1 crore. I don't understand what the liquor scam is."
AAP in-charge of MCD polls Durgesh Pathak was also summoned by the ED for questioning in the matter.
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