Kejriwal vs Delhi L-G: The Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday said the move to order a CBI probe into the pre-bid process of buying low-floor government buses for Delhi was done to divert attention from the graft charges levelled against him. The party, however, said it is not against any probe done by central agencies.
But, it is “unfortunate” that Saxena, who is facing allegations of corruption, has endorsed a probe into tender process for procurement and maintenance of buses by the Delhi government “for the second time” in a month even as the CBI is already conducting a “preliminary inquiry” into the case and yet to claim any breakthrough, the party said.
The AAP's reaction came a day after Lieutenant Governor Saxena gave his approval to the chief secretary’s proposal to forward a complaint to the CBI for clubbing it with the ongoing probe by the agency into the case. There was no immediate reaction from the LG office on the AAP’s allegation.
“In this matter, neither a single bus was purchased nor even a rupee was paid to anybody. Then where did the corruption take place?” AAP’s chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj told a press conference.
The Arvind Kejriwal government put the tender process on hold after “some inquiry” was initiated against it, he said.
“It was decided not to go ahead with the tender process till the conclusion of the inquiry. It is still on hold for the past two years and we could not purchase even a single bus,” Bharadwaj said.
The CBI, which had registered a PE (preliminary inquiry) case in the matter, has also been conducting a probe into it for about one-and-a-half years but it is yet to claim any breakthrough.
“But, the LG (Saxena), who wakes up every morning and starts levelling fake and baseless corruption charges against his own Delhi government, has recommended CBI probe into the matter yesterday for the second time in a month just to deflect public attention from the corruption charges levelled against him,” the AAP spokesperson charged.
“Only three weeks ago, he had recommended a CBI probe into the matter,” he said, adding it is "unfortunate". The AAP leaders have levelled three “big and serious allegations” of corruption against Saxena “with proof”, Bharadwaj said.
“But instead of coming out and say that he is ready to face a probe, Saxena is staging a new drama every day by levelling baseless allegations against the Kejriwal dispensation,” he said.
In a video message, AAP MP Sanjay Singh hit out at Saxena on the issue and alleged that the LG has been levelling one after another “baseless allegations” against the Kejriwal government as “he wants commission from the contractors” in award of the government works.
“You deal with the contractors directly for commission in award of work. This business of loot and corruption that you ran at KVIC is not possible in Delhi govt,” he said.
He demanded that the BJP-led Centre order a probe into allegations of corruption against Saxena and “put him behind the bars”. Saxena has approved the chief secretary’s proposal to forward a complaint to the CBI to “club” it with the ongoing probe by the agency into the alleged irregularities in the process followed by the Kejriwal dispensation to procure 1,000 low-floor BS-IV and BS-VI buses and award annual maintenance contract for the BS-VI buses, the official said on Saturday.
According to sources, the complaint addressed to Saxena in June this year had claimed that the appointment of the Minister of Transport as the chairman of the committee for tendering and procurement of buses by Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) was done in a "premeditated manner".
Also Read: CBI to probe AAP government in Delhi for 'irregularities' in purchase of 1,000 low-floor buses
