NEW DELHI: Stepping up the attack against the AAP government, the BJP on Saturday claimed that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was the "kingpin" in the "liquor scam" while his deputy Manish Sisodia was the accused number one.
Addressing a press conference, Union Minister Anurag Thakur accused the Aam Aadmi Party of trying to divert the issue from the alleged scam by linking the CBI action to politics and said its "real face has been unmasked".
As the war of words escalated between the BJP and the AAP a day after the CBI raided Sisodia's residence and 30 other locations over allegations of corruption in the implementation of the Delhi excise policy, Thakur also made light of AAP leaders' claim about their rising poll prospects.
Earlier in the day, Sisodia claimed that the 2024 polls will be a battle between Kejriwal and Modi who he alleged was using all means, including the probe agencies against the party leaders, to scare the AAP chief.
The party (AAP) had made tall claims ahead of a number of elections but could not stand before Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Thakur said and added that it could not open its account in the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The BJP under Modi will better its Lok Sabha tally in 2024 in the same way it had improved on its 2014 show in 2019, he asserted.
Seeking to put the AAP in a dock over the alleged scam in the allotment of liquor licenses in the national capital by the Kejriwal government, Thakur asked nine questions and sought its reply.
It is a government of "revdi" (freebies) and it is also a "bevdi" (drunkards) government, he alleged and asked why it returned over Rs 144 crore to liquor companies without the Cabinet approval.
Why was the excise policy withdrawn if it was correct as claimed by the AAP and why some "blacklisted" firms were given the liquor license, he asked.
"Sisodia is the accused number one in the case but Kejriwal is the kingpin behind the scam", Thakur said.
Taking a dig at the deputy chief minister, Thakur referred to him as "Money Shh", alleging that he makes money and maintains silence.
He was flanked by Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta and Lok Sabha member Manoj Tiwari.
The two Delhi leaders also attacked Kejriwal over the issue.
The CBI on Friday morning carried out searches at the residences of Sisodia and IAS officer Arava Gopi Krishna apart from 29 other locations after registering an FIR in connection with the alleged corruption in the implementation of the Delhi excise policy.
Thakur said Kejriwal's "left hand" Satyendar Jain is already in jail on corruption charges and his "right hand" Sisodia is facing serious charges.
The party which would make big claims against corruption is now immersed in it from Delhi to Punjab, he alleged.
Sisodia was so scared that he could not handle questions asked by journalists, Thakur claimed.
The Delhi excise policy was implemented with complete transparency and there was no scam, Sisodia had said and added that they want to stop Arvind Kejriwal whose work on education and health is being talked about in the world.
Adesh Gupta said the Delhi government's decision to reduce the dry days to three from 21 was aimed at benefitting the liquor mafia and criticised it for having 850 liquor vends from 250 earlier.
Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday asserted that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections will be a walkover for the BJP if Kejriwal is pitted against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He claimed that the Delhi chief minister is not even known in many states, which will lead to a further increase in the BJP's tally in the Lok Sabha.
"Badhiya hai (It will be fine)," Sarma quipped, when asked by reporters whether it will be Modi versus Kejriwal in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
"In any game, say cricket, an opposition is needed. Someone needs to play against Australia also. Modiji versus Kejriwal will be a good game," he said.
The BJP leader claimed that people in many states haven't even heard of Kejriwal and if he is pitted against Modi, BJP will be happy as the party's tally in the Lok Sabha will increase manifold due to it.
"It will amount to a walkover," Sarma asserted.
On allegation by the AAP that the Centre is trying to destroy the healthcare model initiated by Kejriwal's party, the Assam chief minister maintained that Delhi's 'mohalla clinics' cannot be a model for healthcare.
Asserting that Assam's healthcare system, instead, can serve as a model, Sarma said, "If there can be at all a model (for healthcare), people should come down to Assam and see how in every district we are promoting a medical college."
"Delhi's mohalla clinics cannot be a model. No one will come to India to see our healthcare facilities if mohalla clinics become the model," he added while refraining from elaborating on the alleged shortcomings in the AAP initiative in the national capital.
Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said if a judge disposes of 50 cases, 100 new litigations are filed as people are more aware now and approach courts to settle disputes.
Addressing a seminar on the functioning of the Armed Forces Tribunal in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Rijiju said the government is tapping technology to reduce pendency in courts.
Responding to a question during Parliament's monsoon session, the law minister had said that over 4.83 crore cases are pending in courts across the country.
While over 4 crore cases are pending in lower courts, the Supreme Court is burdened with a pendency of over 72,000 cases.
The minister said the proposed law on mediation will also help bring down the number of litigations in courts with a renewed focus on alternate dispute resolution mechanisms.
Rijiju also felt that there should be "no comparison" between the pendency of cases in India and other countries as "we have a different set of problems".
He said there are some countries that do not even have a population of 5 crores when the number of pending cases in India is nearing the 5-crore mark.
He assured the law ministry is willing to offer any help to the Armed Forces Tribunal in quick delivery of justice.