NEW DELHI: Launching a stinging attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over a State government probe report into alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Delhi cricket body, the BJP on Sunday demanded his “public apology” for dragging Finance Minister Arun Jaitley into the row.
A three-member committee probing alleged irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) does not even mention the name of Jaitley, who has been under Opposition attack. The 237-page report by the committee, headed by principal secretary in Vigilance Department Chetan Sanghi, has said that considering the “large number of allegations against DDCA”, the cricket body should be immediately suspended by the BCCI.
While highlighting its observations on alleged irregularities in the DDCA, which include construction of corporate boxes without prior approval of authorities and complaints of forgery in age-verification certificates, the report does not mention Jaitley anywhere.
Reacting sharply, BJP spokesperson M J Akbar said the DDCA file which Kejriwal made his basis to attack Jaitley over the CBI raid and affairs of the cricket body does not name Jaitley.
“The truth is out. The report does not name Jaitley. There is no allegation against him, there is no indication (of wrongdoing). The Delhi Chief Minister, we believe, should apologise to Jaitley for his allegations... he should publicly apologise... He should also admit his fault in court (where Jaitley has filed a civil defamation suit against the CM and other Aam Aadmi Party members),” said Akbar. He claimed that after a “conspiracy” by the then Congress government, the Serious Frauds Investigation Office had held an inquiry and found nothing against Jaitley, a former DDCA chief, “though it was a Congress government”.
Akbar added that Kejriwal had attacked Jaitley alleging that the CBI raid was carried out for the DDCA file.“Now the CM himself is trapped... his own team has found no allegation against Jaitley,” Akbar said.
The BJP spokesperson said that after the November 15 report became public, AAP is trying to wriggle out of the situation, claiming the probe was not meant to name anyone. “But there are names in the report... you don’t run the government with tamasha (drama),” he said.
But the AAP hit back saying, “If BJP is so confident that he is clean then why is he running away from investigation. They should take it to its logical conclusion. Why is Jaitley running away from enquiry and investigation.”