Continuing its attack on the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday shared a video of an alleged “sting operation” to claim that the government framed the policy to help a select few and used the money earned in kickbacks to fund its campaign in Goa and Punjab Assembly polls.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia reacted to the video saying the BJP should share it with the CBI and dared the agency to investigate the clip within four days and arrest him if the claims were true.
‘Failed bids to topple govt.’
“If the CBI does not arrest me within four days, it will be accepted that the sting video is yet another lie and part of the conspiracy hatched at the offices of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to topple the Arvind Kejriwal-led government in Delhi,” Mr. Sisodia said. He said after the CBI raids and the ED investigation failed to find anything against him, the BJP was trying to find other ways to topple the AAP government.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted in support of his deputy saying he hoped that the BJP would accept the challenge to have the video investigated by the CBI. “Wow Manish! Only a true and courageous person can throw such a challenge. I am sure BJP will accept your challenge,” Mr. Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.
‘Act or apologise’
The BJP said the “sting operation” had not been conducted by them and that the video was already in the public domain. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said, “The person speaking in the video is an accused in the FIR filed by the CBI. He said that the government deliberately kept smaller players out of its now scrapped policy to help a few persons monopolise the market. Kejriwal used to tell people to do a sting on those seeking money illegally from them and he will act against the culprits. He should either act or apologise for his statement.”
Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri demanded that the Delhi government be dismissed immediately as there was “no doubt left” that big companies were favoured while forming the liquor policy and “gave a share of their commission to AAP”.
“Mr. Kejriwal and his party have been proved completely dishonest. Therefore, the President of India should immediately dismiss this government. The people of Delhi are not ready to tolerate this corrupt government,” Mr. Bidhuri said.
