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AAP launched an attack on Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena following the latter’s nod to a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the pre-bid process for the purchase of low-floor buses in the city. This comes just two days after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Mr. Saxena held a meeting, which the CM himself described as “very cordial”.
The chief spokesperson of AAP Saurabh Bharadwaj on Sunday said, “The L-G wakes up every morning and starts levelling fake and baseless corruption charges against his own Delhi government. He has recommended a CBI probe for the second time in a month just to deflect public attention from the corruption charges levelled against him.”
He added that Mr. Saxena is facing three allegations of corruption during his tenure as Chairman of Khadi Village Industries.
Clarifying that AAP was not against any probe in the issue, Mr. Bharadwaj added, “The L-G has sent the bus matter to the CBI thrice now, despite being aware that the probe agency filed a Preliminary Enquiry report 1.5 years ago, in which it found nothing. Not a single bus has been procured under the said matter, not a rupee worth’s payment has been made, there’s no question of corruption in it.”
According to a source in Raj Niwas, “Criminal misconduct by public servants in this tender exercise will be ascertained by the investigating agency, i.e. the CBI. On the basis of this, the Chief Secretary recommended referring the matter to the CBI, which was approved by the L-G.
The source added that the complaint will be “clubbed” with the ongoing probe by the CBI into alleged irregularities in the process to procure 1,000 low-floor BS-IV and BS-VI buses.
