New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party leader Alka Lamba has been removed from the post of party spokesperson for two months.
The decision to sack Lamba was taken by the party high command on Tuesday after she told media that Transport Minister Gopal Rai tendered his resignation to make way for a fair probe into the Premium Bus Service scheme, the Indian Express reported.
Notably, AAP leader Gopal Rai had on Tuesday said that he had quit as Delhi's Transport Minister on health grounds as he had recently undergone a major surgery, and denied if it had anything to do with corruption charges hurled at him. Even the party also maintained the same.
Last month, Rai had announced Premium Bus Service Scheme to encourage the car users to leave their vehicles and use public transport.
The Premium Bus Service scheme, announced by the minister last month, had come under the scanner of the ACB after a formal complaint by BJP MLA Vijender Gupta. On Friday, Kejriwal had asked Rai to appear before the ACB with all relevant documents at the earliest instead of waiting for any action to be initiated.
Rai had said on Monday that he was prepared to go to jail if charges of corruption in an app-based premium bus service scheme were proved.
Going against the party lines Lamba told reporters that Kejriwal asked Rai to step down as he wanted to ensure a fair probe into the alleged scam, said the report.
She had made the comments outside the Anti-Corruption Branch’s (ACB’s) office, where she had gone to extend support to Rai.
He has been undergoing physiotherapy, which is expected to last three months, at the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre and is housed in the hospital.
The two phases of the odd-even scheme were implemented under the leadership of Rai as Transport Department was involved in the execution of the road-rationing plan on the ground.
