Shunglu report: Congress demands Kejriwal's resignation, AAP says BJP resorting to mud-slinging ahead of MCD polls

Reacting to the findings of the Shunglu Committee report, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday claimed that the BJP is staring at defeat and so it is resorting to mud-slinging ahead of the MCD polls.

Addressing a press conference, AAP’s Delhi unit convenor Dilip Pandey claimed that the BJP has used similar tactics in the past and the report being made public just before the polls indicates that the party is rattled.

“When the Shunglu Committee was formed to probe the AAP government, why has the BJP not formed any panel to look into financial irregularities in the MCDs over the last 20 years,” he said.

ALSO READ | Shunglu committee points out 'gross abuse of power' by AAP government

The three-member Shunglu committee, formed by the then Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, has pointed out “gross abuse of power” by the Arvind Kejriwal government in its report.

The committee has flagged decisions including the allotment of land to the AAP for its party office, appointment of Minister Satyendra Jain’s daughter as “mission director” of Delhi State Health Mission and a number of purported AAP functionaries as “advisors”.

Commenting on the Delhi government’s decision to allot land to the AAP for its party office, senior AAP leader Ashutosh said the Aam Aadmi Party is a recognised state party and is entitled to get space for its office.

“Has anyone asked the Congress that why does the party have an office when it has zero seats and the BJP has only three seats in the Delhi Legislative Assembly,” Ashutosh said.

The party, however, did not comment any more on the issue. 

Congress demands Kejriwal's resignation over Shunglu panel report

ALSO READ | Najeeb Jung resigned as he wanted to make Shunglu Committee report public: Ajay Maken

The Congress today sought Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation over the findings of the Shunglu committee report which pointed out alleged wrongdoing by the AAP government, and demanded a CBI probe in the matter.

Releasing a copy of the report at the AICC headquarters here, party leader and DPCC president Ajay Maken charged AAP, particularly Kejriwal, of engaging in corruption and nepotism.

“If Kejriwal has an iota of conscience, he should resign from his post immediately. He has no ethical right to stay on the post,” Maken told reporters.

The three-member Shangulu committee, formed by the then Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, has pointed out “gross abuse of power” by the AAP government in its report.

The committee has flagged decisions including the allotment of land to the AAP for its party office, appointment of Minister Satyendra Jain’s daughter as “mission director” of Delhi State Health Mission and a number of purported AAP functionaries as “advisors”.

Maken also sought to pick holes in Kejriwal’s recent announcement of abolishing property tax.

He said it was the AAP government which in 2015 had allowed BJP-ruled MCDs to impose property tax on unauthorised colonies in the national capital.

“And now they are saying that the tax will be abolished if AAP is voted to power in MCDs. This is a government of lies,” Maken said.

The Congress also hit out at AAP for questioning the timing of surfacing of the report.

He said the report had not made public until now, despite the Congress demanding so, as the BJP allegedly wanted AAP to eat into Congress’ votes in Goa and Punjab.

The Congress will observe a ‘black day’ tomorrow, seeking Kejriwal’s resignation.

No irregularity by AAP govt: Jain on Shunglu panel report

Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain today dismissed the Shunglu committee report as “mud-slinging” and said “no irregularity” has been committed by the AAP government.

He alleged that officers were forced to write “false notes” in the report.

The three-member committee, formed by the then Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, has pointed out “gross abuse of power” by the Arvind Kejriwal government.

“I have not seen the report, but as far as we are concerned, there is no illegality or irregularity... Our government has worked as per the Constitution in force till August 4, 2016. After that the High Court made some amendment to it,” Jain said.

He also rejected allegation on appointment of his daughter as “mission director” of Delhi State Health Mission, saying it was “all lies”. The approval for this appointment is made by the Centre, he added.

On the findings of the Committee, Jain alleged, “Officers were called by the LG, made to sit and write false notes in it under duress.”

The term of former Lt Governor Najeeb Jung had witnessed a continuous war of words between the LG Office and the Arvind Kejriwal government over several issues.

“This is all mud-slinging. In fact, probe should be done to find out why the files were suppressed for six months during Jung ‘saheb’s’ time. We had targeted 1,000 mohalla clinics by December 31, 2016 but, they sat on the files for six months,” he said.

“We did nothing wrong or illegal but what was within our authority. If the LG had thought, he could have changed it, then he could have changed it. We did what we deemed fit,” Jain said.

The report which runs into over 100 pages deals with decisions, including appointment of certain individuals as advisors to the government, taken by Kejriwal and his Cabinet where it had no authority do so and without the LG’s concurrence.

Among other issues, the report raised questions on the government posting officers to the Anti-Corruption Branch, its decisions on transfer and appointments of officers, foreign travel undertaken by ministers without the LG’s sanction and appointment of lawyers.

Earlier Jung had said that Kejriwal may face “criminal charges” over irregularities found by the panel.