Devender Yadav, the Delhi Congress President and Congress candidate for the Badli Assembly constituency, has sharply criticised Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the now scrapped Delhi Excise Policy.
Yadav's remarks come after a "leaked CAG report" surfaced on social media, which allegedly points to a massive financial scam of Rs 2,000 crore linked to the policy. Yadav has claimed that the evidence against Kejriwal is overwhelming, and he faces significant legal challenges ahead.
In a statement to the media, Yadav highlighted the severity of the allegations, saying that due to the excise policy, Kejriwal had spent considerable time in jail and was currently out on bail.
Yadav said that the leaked report made it clear that a scam of Rs 2,000 crore had occurred, adding that the mounting evidence would cause serious problems for Kejriwal and his government. He further remarked that this issue would soon become a major crisis for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership.
The controversy surrounding the excise policy has also been highlighted by BJP MP Sambit Patra, who accused the AAP of attempting to reinstate the same policy that had allegedly led to the multi-crore scam.
Patra pointed to claims made by Delhi CM Atishi, who suggested that the new excise policy would be reintroduced if the AAP returned to power in Delhi.
According to Patra, the excise policy had been marred by cartelisation, black marketing, and irregularities, and the AAP should clarify its stance on this matter.
Patra also criticised the fact that the excise policy had not received cabinet approval and that the Lieutenant Governor (LG) had not been consulted before its implementation.
He suggested that the policy had ultimately led to the AAP being exposed to public scrutiny, with Kejriwal needing to provide a clear explanation of his party’s position on the issue.
In a related development, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) authorised the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to prosecute Arvind Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The two leaders are accused of being involved in money laundering linked to the liquor scam, and the sanction for their prosecution was received earlier this month. This move is a fresh development in the ongoing investigation into the Delhi liquor policy's alleged irregularities during the 2021-22 period.
Both Kejriwal and Sisodia, who are currently out on bail, had previously faced charges related to the excise policy. In September 2023, the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal regular bail in the case, while Sisodia received bail in August 2023.
The approval for their prosecution under PMLA marks a significant development in the case, especially as the special PMLA court had earlier delayed framing charges against Kejriwal due to his challenge regarding the lack of specific sanctions for prosecution under the Act.
In response to these developments, Kejriwal dismissed the allegations, accusing the BJP of using the issue as a political tool for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.
Speaking to reporters outside the party office, Kejriwal remarked, “Woh uss tarah se chunav lad rahe hain, hum is tarah se chunav lad rahe hain," suggesting that the BJP’s political strategy was centred around these accusations while his party was focused on a different approach to the elections.
Follow us
