Congress blames deal between BJP-AAP behind Najeeb Jung's ouster

The Congress on Friday alleged that a deal was struck between the BJP and the AAP not to make the Shunglu Committee report public, which led to the ouster of Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung.

"I am saying this with full responsibility that Jung wanted to release the Shunglu Committee report which was submitted on November 27. As per my knowledge, Jung wanted to release the report on Monday, but he was pressurised not to release it," Delhi Congress unit chief Ajay Maken told reporters here.

"Since he was stopped from making the report public, he chose to resign," the Congress leader said. 

"Had the report been released, the CBI would have filed cases against AAP government as there are irregularities in over 200 files of it," Maken said.

Maken's remarks came a day after Jung resigned saying that he would return to his "first love" academics. 

Jung had formed the three-member Shunglu Committee to look into 400-odd files pertaining to decisions taken by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.

Maken also said that a deal was finalised between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the AAP to damage Congress votes during the Punjab and Goa Assembly elections. 

"A deal was finalised between the BJP and the AAP. Had the report been published, the chances of AAP would have become bleak in both the states due to the charges of corruption," he said.

Asked if the Congress will demand the release of the report, Maken said, "We would demand the next L-G to make the Shunglu Committee report public."

Jung, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day, revealed that he had offered to quit twice but was told to carry on.

Jung said this time he insisted on resigning -- on "personal grounds".

Jung became the Lt. Governor on July 9, 2013 when the Congress-led UPA was in power. The Narendra Modi government retained him even as it replaced most Governors in the states. 

Home Ministry sources told IANS that Jung's resignation was yet to be accepted.