“Will Sisodia Also Lose Memory?” Anurag Thakur Slams Kejriwal for Setting “New Records of Corruption”

GG News Bureau

New Delhi, 23^rd July. Anurag Thakur, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, attacked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday, accusing him of shielding the “corrupt” after Delhi’s lieutenant governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the Delhi Excise Policy over alleged procedural lapses.

The Union Minister went on to say that the “AAP government has set new records for corruption.”

“You’ve sheltered the corrupt and the way in which you lied on TV yesterday and couldn’t respond to any of BJP’s allegations shows that LG’s recommendation to MHA holds ground. Corrupt ministers should resign. A corrupt man like you has no right to be in power,” Thakur told ANI.

Thakur cited Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain, who is in judicial custody in connection with a money laundering case, “You’re (Arvind Kejriwal) silent on LG’s letter to MHA for CBI probe into corruption allegations. It shows corruption by your people under your nose. There were allegations against Satyendar Jain who lost his memory in jail. Will Manish Sisodia too lose memory?”

The union minister also stressed that the Delhi CM made tall claims but has set new records of corruption.

“One corruption instance after the other is coming out from your departments. You made tall claims before entering politics but your government has set new records of corruption,” he added.

His comments came after Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended a CBI investigation into alleged violations of the Arvind Kejriwal-led government’s new contentious excise policy, including “deliberate and gross procedural lapses” by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia to “provide post tender undue benefits to liquor licensees.” The Chief Secretary’s report on July 8 found prima facie violations of the GNCTD Act 1991, the Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR) 1993, the Delhi Excise Act 2009, and the Delhi Excise Rules 2010.

According to the report, there was substantial financial quid pro quo at the top political level, and the Delhi excise policy was implemented solely to benefit private liquor barons in exchange for financial benefits to individuals at the highest rungs of the government leading up to Manish Sisodia.

Manish Sisodia, the Minister in charge of the Excise Department, took and had carried out major decisions/actions in violation of the statutory provisions and the notified Excise Policy, officials at the LG office said.

The LG office said that Sisodia also extended “undue financial favours” to the liquor licensees much after the tenders had been awarded and thus caused huge losses to the exchequer.Sisodia’s role is under the scanner for alleged deliberate and gross procedural lapses which provided undue benefits to the tender process for liquor licensees for the year 2021-22, officials in the Lieutenant-Governor’s office told ANI.

The excise policy was approved by the Delhi Cabinet led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the midst of the deadly Delta Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.

As migrants were leaving the city, dhabas, restaurants, hotels, gyms, schools, and all other business establishments were facing closure, the excise department under Sisodia allegedly allowed a waiver of Rs 144.36 crores to a liquor cartel with an excuse of COVID-19 pandemic.

“While people were dying, livelihoods collapsing, businesses shutting down that could have been helped by giving financial assistance, all that the Kejriwal government had in mind was benefitting merchants of alcohol in lieu of kickbacks and commissions,” the LG office said.

However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claims that the new excise policy was formed to maximise revenue generation, eliminate the sale of spurious liquor or non-duty paid liquor in Delhi, and improve user experience. According to AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj, the CBI investigation has been ordered at the behest of the central government. With ANI inputs