New Delhi: Stepping up the attack against the AAP government, the BJP on Saturday claimed that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was the “kingpin” in the “liquor scam” while his deputy Manish Sisodia was the accused number one.
Addressing a press conference, Union Minister Anurag Thakur accused the Aam Aadmi Party of trying to divert the issue from the alleged scam by linking the CBI action to politics and said its “real face has been unmasked”.
As the war of words escalated between the BJP and the AAP a day after the CBI raided Sisodia’s residence and 30 other locations over allegations of corruption in the implementation of the Delhi excise policy, Thakur also made light of AAP leaders’ claim about their rising poll prospects.
Earlier in the day, Sisodia claimed that the 2024 polls will be a battle between Kejriwal and Modi who he alleged was using all means, including the probe agencies against the party leaders, to scare the AAP chief.
The party (AAP) had made tall claims ahead of a number of elections but could not stand before Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Thakur said and added that it could not open its account in the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The BJP under Modi will better its Lok Sabha tally in 2024 in the same way it had improved on its 2014 show in 2019, he asserted.
Seeking to put the AAP in a dock over the alleged scam in the allotment of liquor licenses in the national capital by the Kejriwal government, Thakur asked nine questions and sought its reply.
It is a government of “revdi” (freebies) and it is also a “bevdi” (drunkards) government, he alleged and asked why it returned over Rs 144 crore to liquor companies without the Cabinet approval.
Why was the excise policy withdrawn if it was correct as claimed by the AAP and why some “blacklisted” firms were given the liquor license, he asked.
“Sisodia is the accused number one in the case but Kejriwal is the kingpin behind the scam”, Thakur said.
Taking a dig at the deputy chief minister, Thakur referred to him as “Money Shh”, alleging that he makes money and maintains silence.
He was flanked by Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta and Lok Sabha member Manoj Tiwari. The two Delhi leaders also attacked Kejriwal over the issue.
The CBI on Friday morning carried out searches at the residences of Sisodia and IAS officer Arava Gopi Krishna apart from 29 other locations after registering an FIR in connection with the alleged corruption in the implementation of the Delhi excise policy.
Thakur said Kejriwal’s “left hand” Satyendar Jain is already in jail on corruption charges and his “right hand” Sisodia is facing serious charges.
The party which would make big claims against corruption is now immersed in it from Delhi to Punjab, he alleged.
Sisodia was so scared that he could not handle questions asked by journalists, Thakur claimed.
The Delhi excise policy was implemented with complete transparency and there was no scam, Sisodia had said and added that they want to stop Arvind Kejriwal whose work on education and health is being talked about in the world.
Adesh Gupta said the Delhi government’s decision to reduce the dry days to three from 21 was aimed at benefitting the liquor mafia and criticised it for having 850 liquor vends from 250 earlier.
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