NEW DELHI: Amid the ongoing excise policy row, former Delhi lieutenant governor Anil Baijal on Tuesday rejected Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's allegations as "baseless" and "falsehoods perpetrated by a desperate man to save his skin", while the AAP government accused him of "diverting" from the issue.
In a hard-hitting statement, Baijal said Sisodia is trying to find an alibi for himself and his colleagues' "acts of commission and omissions".
Soon after, Lt Governor V K Saxena came out in support of his predecessor, expressing "grave objection" over "deliberately misleading" and "baseless" allegations levelled by Sisodia.
Saxena also advised Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to ensure his colleagues refrain from such "petty behaviour".
Sisodia, who also heads the excise department, had last Saturday accused Baijal of changing his stand on the Excise Policy 2021-22 and blocking liquor vends in non-conforming areas of Delhi by laying down a new condition two days before its implementation on November 17, 2021.
He had also said Baijal's decision "benefitted" some licensees while causing a "loss" of thousands of crores of rupees to the Delhi government.
"Mr. Sisodia is trying to find some alibi for his and his colleagues' acts of commission and omissions. The charges are nothing but blatant lies and falsehoods being perpetrated by a desperate man to save his own skin," Baijal said.
He claimed that during the implementation of the excise policy, he had flagged on several occasions "unlawful decisions" taken by the AAP government that had to be amended on files.
He said he set up a committee under the chairmanship of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) vice chairman to examine the setting up of liquor vends in the non-conforming areas.
"The committee, in its report on December 10, 2021, was of the view that as regards 67 non-conforming municipal wards, the excise department can consider allowing the licensee of such vends to open vends in the conforming areas of adjoining wards.
"Accordingly, no permission was granted for opening liquor vends in non-conforming areas," Baijal said.
Even today, no law in Delhi allows for opening of liquor vends in non-conforming areas, he said.
Hitting out at Baijal, the Delhi government said instead of "diverting" from the "actual issue", the ex-LG needs to answer what made him change his stand just 48 hours before the opening of shops.
"Why did he deliberately cause so much loss to the government and give undue favours to selected licensees? Who forced him to take a stand against the policy passed by the cabinet and the LG himself?" it asked in a statement.
Sisodia had earlier said that after initially approving the proposal for opening liquor vends in non-conforming areas, Baijal laid down a new condition on November 15, 2021, that permission from the DDA and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) would be required for it.
Raising doubts and levelling allegations against the LG's decision has been a norm ever since the AAP came to power in Delhi, Baijal charged.
"The records will speak for themselves. The truth will come out with time after an investigation," he said.
It appears that the AAP government and its excise minister initially claimed record revenue through excise by "manipulating figures" but as it got "exposed", they are now playing this "deplorable game of blaming me" by "distorting facts" and painting a "false" narrative, Baijal said, defending himself.
"During my entire tenure as the LG, I upheld the constitutional values and laws of the land in letter and spirit, which has always been an issue with the AAP government," he said.
Current LG Saxena has recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged irregularities in the implementation of the excise policy and approved suspension of several excise officials.
The Delhi government has already rolled back the policy.