Kejriwal sacks minister over sex scandal

 An alleged sex scandal rocked the Arvind Kejriwal government on Wednesday evening as the chief minister sacked his Social Welfare Minister Sandeep Kumar over a CD expose showing him in objectionable position with at least six women.

The incident sparked a political storm with the rival parties accusing Kejriwal of being aware of the CD for two weeks but sitting over it till a TV channel aired it on Wednesday evening.

Kumar , 36, has become the third AAP Cabinet minister to be removed by Kejriwal in the last year and a half. 

Earlier, law minister Jitender Tomar was dropped from Cabinet for forgery and food and supplies minister Asim Ahmad Khan was removed for reported corruption.

Kejriwal broke the news on the Twitter. “Received ‘objectionable’ CD of minister Sandeep Kr. AAP stands for propriety in public life. That can’t be compromised. Removing him from Cabinet wid immediate effect,” Kejriwal tweeted. “Removing him from Cabinet wid immediate effect,” said Kejriwal.

Amid acerbic attacks from the rivals, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told reporter that Kumar was removed within 30 minutes of the party getting the information about the CD.

“We follow a policy of zero tolerance. There can be no compromise on discipline,” he said, adding that the AAP sticks to its principles and earlier also removed tainted ministers.
“Who ever earns a bad name to the AAP, whether a minister or even the chief minister, will face action,” he said.

Sources said the CD was given by a person called Om Prakash to the office of Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung about five days back. The videos in the CD seemed to be related to a few years ago as the sacked minister is seen to be slim in them.

One of the video in the CD is nine minute long and the sacked minister is seen with six different women.

Leader of Opposition of Assembly Vijender Gupta of the BJP said the scandal has exposed the AAP government.

“Kejriwal calls his ministers gems. A minister responsible for social and women welfare himself has been exposed,” he said.

Another AAP women activist recently committed suicide over sexual harassment recently.
Former minister Somnath Bharti is also facing charges of abusing his wife. Why cannot the AAP government take action against those who misbehave with women, he said.
“There are so many sex scandals being perpetrated by AAP leaders. Why is Kejriwal defending them,” said Gupta.

Delhi Congress chief spokesperson Sharmishtha Mukherjee said: “This is height of hypocrisy that a social welfare minister who claims that he touches his wife’s feet every morning is involved in a sex scandal.”