NEW DELHI: The Delhi BJP on Friday accused the AAP government of indulging in a “liquor scam” worth crores as the CBI raided Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s residence over alleged irregularities in the Excise Policy 2021-22. The party also demanded the removal of Sisodia as well as minister Satyendar Jain, who is in judicial custody in a case of money laundering, from their posts.
West Delhi BJP MP Parvesh Verma accused Sisodia of corruption, and that “two middlemen who used to collect cash from liquor licensees have left the country”. “The government raised the commission of wholesale licensees from 2 per cent to 12 per cent. Out of this, 12 per cent to six per cent in cash was collected for the AAP government,” he said.
Credit notes were being used to siphon off the commission money from the license holders to the AAP, he alleged. Former Delhi BJP president and North East Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari said the CBI should also probe whether the policy was a medium for the ruling party to convert its black money into white. “The AAP contested elections in Punjab, Uttarakhand and other states with the money that it received as commission worth crores of rupees from through the scam in the new excise policy,” he said.
“Nothing moves in the AAP without Kejriwal’s nod. The CBI has concrete proof that the government formulated the new excise policy in nexus with the liquor mafia and indulged in corruption worth crores of rupees,” the BJP MP claimed.
Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta alleged that even during the Covid pandemic, Sisodia was providing “relief” to the liquor mafia. Kejriwal should now seek resignations of both Sisodia and Jain, he said.
The state Congress too raised the matter of ‘corruption’ in the distribution of liquor licences with the previous police commissioner but no action was taken.
Delhi Congress Chief Anil Kumar said the party in June wrote to the then Police chief, Rakesh Asthana, informing him of a ‘multi-crore scam’ in the illegal distribution of liquor licences to shell companies. “The Congress fought from the road to the investigating agency to prevent Delhi from becoming a drug capital. We have promised to the public to send these ‘hardcore dishonest’ to jail,” said Kumar.
BJP seek removal of Sisodia and Jain
The BJP also demanded the removal of Manish Sisodia as well as minister Satyendar Jain, who is in judicial custody in a case of money laundering, from their posts. They said the two leaders were involved in corruption