JOIN USSignalling a political fight, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said that the Lieutenant Governor-controlled Anti-Corruption Branch was preparing to file an FIR against his deputy Manish Sisodia in an alleged ad scam.
“Sources have told me that (Transport Minister) Gopal Rai would also be summoned on Monday, so I have told both of them to take officials and files to the ACB on their own and face them,” Kejriwal said in the Delhi Assembly.
Warning Prime Minister Narender Modi against threatening his the Aaam Aadmi Party government with the ACB or the CBI, Kejriwal said: “We tread the path of truth and are made of iron. The ACB or the CBI cannot be used to threaten us.”
Earlier, Kejriwal slammed the opposition BJP and said had the ACB been with the Delhi government, he would have got all corrupt leaders of the BJP jailed.
He took a dig at Modi’s foreign visits and said: “Now that he is back in India he will start taking interest is our work.”
Recalling Anna Hazare’s observation, Kejriwal said that for people like Modi and the Lieutenant Governor, going to jail is a blot, but for anti-corruption campaigners going to jail is a medal.
The chief minister followed up his statement in the House with a tweet: “Sources- LG getting FIR regd in ACB against Manish Sisodia on some fictitious ad scam. We welcome LG to do that.” (sic)
There have been allegations of favouritism and wasteful expenditure by the AAP government in releasing advertisements with Sisodia’s consent. Rai is facing allegations of wrongdoings in the now-stalled app-based premium bus service.
During the day’s proceedings, the issue of Delhi government ads and alleged wasteful expenditure was raised by the Opposition.
While replying, Sisodia claimed complete transparency and said that the Comptroller and Auditor General of India was auditing the accounts of the Information Department and the truth would be out soon.
Kejriwal’s comments come a day after the Assembly set up a nine-member committee to look into allegations of wrongdoings by Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung.