Will hold referendum to force CM to resign: Maken

Congress says it will carry out a five-day campaign to collect 10 lakh signatures against Kejriwal

New Delhi, 07/05/2017: Delhi Police use water cannons to disperse Delhi Pradesh Youth Congress activists during a protest march against Delhi Chief Ministers Arvind Kejriwal over the issue of corruption at CM's residence in New Delhi on Sunday. Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar.

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Ajay Maken on Sunday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal following allegations by former Water and Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra that he had seen the Chief Minister receive ₹2 crore from a Minister of his Cabinet.

‘No moral right’

Mr. Maken said Mr. Kejriwal had “no moral right to continue in office” and that the Congress would carry out a five-day signature campaign to collect 10 lakh signatures — which will be a ‘Right to Recall Referendum’ — to be submitted to the Chief Minister in a bid to pressure him to resign.

FIR over Shunglu report

The Congress called for the Anti-Corruption Bureau to file an FIR against Mr. Kejriwal under the Prevention of Corruption Act over allegations by Mr. Mishra and the findings of the Shunglu Committee report.

“Why has the Central government not filed an FIR on the basis of the Shunglu report, which found serious cases of corruption, nepotism and favouritism by the Kejriwal government,” Mr. Maken asked.

He added that it was strange the Modi government hadn’t acted against the Delhi government following submission of the Shunglu report.

Mr. Maken also pointed out that since coming to power, the Aam Aadmi Party had flouted all its “lofty promises” and that six of its original seven Ministers sworn in when the party formed the government in February 2015 have been accused of corruption.