New Delhi: Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has recommended a CBI probe into the Arvind Kejriwal government’s Excise Policy 2021-22.
The CBI investigation has been recommended after a report 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, said a statement from LG House.
It also pointed out about the deliberate and gross procedural lapses to provide post tender undue benefits to liquor licensees for the year 2021-22.
These indicate substantively of financial quid pro quo at the top political level, wherein 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, the statement reads.
On the other hand, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal defended Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia after Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena called for a CBI probe into the AAP government’s Delhi Excise Policy, saying that BJP is scared of the party’s expansion in the country.
“I’ve known Sisodia for 22 years and have never seen anyone as honest or as much of a patriot as him,” Kejriwal said during a press briefing. He said that Sisodia was working very hard to strengthen Delhi’s education system, earning praise and electoral support because of it, which is why the Centre is trying to stop them.
Accusing the LG of making ‘false allegations’, Delhi CM said, “you arrested Satyendar Jain who was working in the health sector and now want to put Sisodia, who is making careers and lives of lakhs of children in Delhi, behind bars.”
Denying the allegations, Kejriwal said: “BJP is behind us and they are now scared of the party’s expansion across the country. It is a completely fake case. There is not even an iota of truth in it, he added.