Explained: AAP's overnight protests against L-G outside Delhi Assembly

The Delhi Assembly became the site of overnight protests when members of both Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) traded charges of corruption and decided to continue their protests even post working hours.

Leaders of the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP gathered at the Assembly premises, demanding for a probe against Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena for allegedly pressuring two of his employees to exchange demonetised currency notes worth Rs 1,400 crore during his term as the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) chairman in 2016.

On the other hand, the BJP members staged their overnight dharna, demanding the sacking of ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain over alleged corruption.

Also read: AAP on warpath against VK Saxena: History shows battle between Delhi government and L-G is just beginning

We take a closer look at the alleged Khadi scam perpetrated by the Delhi L-G and how the drama unfolded at the Delhi Assembly.

What’s the alleged Rs 1,400 crore Khadi scam?

On Monday, AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak opened a can of worms when he alleged that Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena had pressurised his employees to exchange demonetised notes worth Rs 1,400 crore in 2016 when he was KVIC chairman.

“When he was KVIC chairman, demonetisation happened and a cashier working there has given in writing that he was forced to carry out exchange of notes. It is unfortunate that he was suspended. Those who levelled all dismissed. But we want a probe in this. There is a news report also and there are statements by the affected employees,” Pathak was quoted as saying about the alleged scam.

“When the whole country was suffering from cashlessness, lakhs lost jobs and several slept hungry, the then KVIC chairman Saxena committed a scam of Rs 1,400 crore in the name of Mahatma Gandhi,” the AAP MLA alleged.

He claimed that two cashiers of the KVIC had exposed the “scam” but Saxena “himself investigated” their allegations and suspended them.

“Cashiers Pradeep Yadav and Sanjeev Kumar stated on record that after demonetisation, an illegitimate exchange of Rs 22 lakh in cash took place from their (Delhi) branch alone. And in this manner, the same scam was conducted through 7,000 branches of Khadi spread across India,” Pathak said.

Following the allegations, the AAP MLAs stormed the Well of the House on Monday and demanded for the resignation of the L-G.

AAP MLAs have also demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe in the matter.

The overnight protests

Following the allegations, the AAP announced that they would be carrying out an overnight dharna against the L-G at the Assembly premises.

Carrying placards of ‘LG V K Saxena Chor hai’, ‘V K Saxena ko arrest Karo’, the AAP MLAs camped out at the Assembly premises.

At the site of the protests, AAP MLAs including Atishi and Durgesh Pathak sang ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram’ as party leader Rohit Mehraulia strummed the guitar and Dilip Pandey played a drum, reported the Indian Express.

Atishi demanded that Saxena step down from his post.

While taking part in the protest against L-G, AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak added: “The face of the protest may change in the coming days but the protest will not stop until action and CBI probe is started against LG Vinai Kumar Saxena... He has been accused and he himself headed and investigated the case. Such things don’t happen anywhere, not even in Somalia, but it is happening here in India... They have levelled allegations against us, first liquor, now classrooms... They are asking why have you constructed 8000 classrooms, you should have constructed only 4,000... If constructing schools and classrooms are wrong, then arrest us now and put us behind bars, we are ready to go to jail.”

BJP reacts

The standoff between the AAP and the L-G also evoked reactions from the Opposition, namely the BJP.

Defending Saxena, the BJP on Monday said AAP leaders are levelling these allegations “to take revenge”.

“Ever since LG V K Saxena assumed office, he is questioning the government over a range of issues such as the excise policy and construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools. They (AAP leaders) are doing this to take revenge and divert attention from their wrongdoings,” BJP’s Rohini MLA Vijender Gupta told reporters in the Assembly.

To counter the AAP’s protest, the BJP leaders also carried out a dharna at the Delhi Assembly on Monday night, demanding the sacking of ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain over alleged corruption.

BJP MLA O P Sharma called AAP leaders “deshdrohi and urban naxals” and said they did not want to engage in discussion despite having 62 of 70 MLAs.

With inputs from agencies

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