New Delhi: The Delhi and District Cricket Association today strongly refuted allegations of "gross financial irregularities" against Finance Minister and its former president Arun Jaitley, saying that such charges were "absolutely rubbish".
Hours after Congress and AAP targeted Jaitley and demanded his resignation over alleged "gross financial irregularities" in the DDCA when he headed it from 1999 to 2013, DDCA working president Chetan Chauhan held a press conference to rebut all the allegations.
"Some allegations have been raised against DDCA and it needs clarification as everyone is stating their point. First thing is allegation of irregularities on stadium construction. Stadium is made of Rs 141 crore," Chauhan said.
"The reason for escalated costs was because capacity earlier was 26,000. But we demolished and then we renovated. It is recorded in ROC. It was given to EPIL, so I absolutely rubbish the charges," he said.
"I rubbish allegations against ex president (Jaitley). I would like to thank Jaitley ji for taking care of renovation and making this a state-of-the-art stadium," he added.
According to Chauhan, the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) investigated the irregularities and nothing save a case of embezzlement was found.
Read Also: Feroz Shah Kotla fit to hold Test, insists DDCA's Chetan Chauhan
"Another irregularity was found and the case is sub judice. We organised a Test match for 5 days with 27,000 people on one day," he said.
"All tenders were carefully supervised during Test match. Another allegation of embezzlement against Bansal is after Jaitley left office in December 2013."
In a further escalation of the confrontation between the opposition party and the government, the Congress claimed that a committee constituted by Delhi government has found "gross financial irregularities" in the DDCA during that period.
On his part, Jaitley dismissed the allegations as "vague" and said he cannot answer them unless they are specific.
He also attacked the AAP and its government of trying to "deflect" attention from the issue of corruption and "interference" in the probe.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had yesterday indicated that he proposed to order a Commission of Inquiry into the report of the committee set up by his government to go into the DDCA affairs, which implicated Jaitley.
