Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday accused the Prime Minister’s Office of stalling the Aam Aadmi Party government’s work by filing cases against AAP Ministers and threatening officers, who he said had been on strike for months on the PMO’s orders.
“The Central government and the PMO are trying to make the work in Delhi stop. They are stalling work on Mohalla Clinics, construction of schools and colleges, doorstep delivery of ration and water and electricity,” he said at his residence.
He added that the Centre and the PMO were using the CBI, the Lieutenant-Governor, the Delhi Police, IAS officers, the Enforcement Directorate and the Income-Tax Department to prevent the AAP government from working.
“The CBI reports to PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah [BJP president]. I want to ask them, what has happened to the files they took and the cases filed till now,” said Mr. Kejriwal.
He listed out 14 cases, eight by the CBI and six by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), filed against AAP Ministers, including Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, on complaints by BJP leaders or referrals by the L-G.
Proof of corruption
“What happened to all the cases. Why do they not arrest Manish [Sisodia],” asked Mr. Kejriwal, adding that the CBI and the ACB had been unable to find any proof of corruption.
He added that instances of the CBI and ACB last week picking up files on Mohalla Clinics and those related to the Delhi Jal Board, of which he is the chairperson, showed that the agencies were being used to target the government.
Mr. Kejriwal said officers had informed him that the CBI would summon them and then make them wait for hours.
CBI refutes charges
A CBI spokesperson refuted the charges that the agency had collected more than three lakh documents related to Mohalla Clinics, stating that a preliminary enquiry had been instituted last year and the probe was on.
Mr. Kejriwal said that the Modi government and the BJP State governments had been unable to deliver, while the AAP government in Delhi had improved education and healthcare, reduced the electricity rates and constructed Mohalla Clinics.