New Delhi: With the offensive by sacked Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) minister Kapil Mishra against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal gathering momentum, the rebel leader reached the Delhi government’s Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) office on Monday morning to submit the evidence that he has reportedly collected in the Rs 400 crore water tanker scam.
A senior ACB official, on condition of anonymity, stated that the department would look into the allegations made by Mishra, while no allegation or charge could be pinned against any individual without the requisite investigation.
Following his appointment at ACB, Mishra is also likely to meet the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) later in the afternoon. However, CBI declined from commenting on the matter.
“I have information regarding the water tanker scam on how the investigation was influenced and delayed by Arvind Kejriwal and his aides and how attempts were made to save Sheila Dikshit in the water tanker scam. I have submitted the basic information that I have with the ACB. I have also asked CBI for time and will give information regarding the corruption case involving Arvind Kejriwal that I had exposed yesterday,” said Kapil Mishra after his meeting with the ACB officials on Monday.
Mishra’s meeting with the ACB and later with the CBI comes a day after he had accused Kejriwal of accepting a bribe of Rs2 crore in cash at his official residence from Delhi’s health minister Satyendra Jain. The case has been sent for investigation to the anti-corruption branch of the police by the Lieutenant Governor, Anil Baijal, on Monday.
The crisis within AAP deepened on Sunday after Mishra, who was sacked as a minister on Saturday, levelled corruption allegations against Kejriwal that could potentially damage the party which is already in the midst of an internal rift after subsequent losses in recently concluded elections.
The sacked minister had also claimed that Jain had told him that he had settled land deals worth Rs 50 crore for Kejriwal’s relatives.
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Though the charge has been refuted by Deputy CM Manish Sisodia , who said that the corruption allegations did not merit a response, Kejriwal still has not reacted to the allegation.
“The allegations are absurd and do not merit a response. He was sacked due to poor performance,” Sisodia told reporters on Sunday.
Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Manoj Tiwari had also requested the Lt Governor to forward the matter for probe to agencies such as the CBI, Income Tax department and the Enforcement Directorate on Sunday.
“Sir, we request you to please examine the possibility of immediately dismissing the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his ministerial colleague Satyendar Jain under the constitutional provisions and report entire matter to the President of India,” he said in his letter addressed to Lt Governor.
Defending Kejriwal against the corruption allegations levelled by Mishra, the party on Monday denied all charges against Kejriwal.
“The charges made by Kapil Mishra are laughable. He is only reacting because he was sacked from the party. If he (Kapil Mishra) is making such accusations, then he should also reveal what time was he present at the CM’s residence and was he invited by the CM? We have zero tolerance against corruption and Kejriwal even made it clear that anyone found involved in such activities will be removed from party,” said AAP spokesperson, Sanjay Singh while addressing a press conference on Monday.
Singh also blamed the BJP for trying to defame the AAP government in Delhi.
PTI also contributed to the story