New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday mentioned that the excise coverage rip-off is ‘pretend’ and that it’s a ‘determined’ try by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to ‘malign’ his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). His remarks got here after a Delhi courtroom on Saturday granted bail to 2 accused in a cash laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in relation to alleged irregularities within the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. The courtroom mentioned the proof in opposition to the accused — Rajesh Joshi and Gautam Malhotra — was not adequate for the case in opposition to them to be thought-about prima facie ‘real’.
In a tweet, Arvind Kejriwal mentioned, “The whole liquor scam is false. We were saying it from beginning. Now even courts have started saying it. It’s a desperate measure by BJP to malign an honest party like AAP.”
Earlier on Saturday, senior AAP chief and Delhi Cabinet Minister Atishi mentioned that the courtroom granted bail to the 2 key accused within the Delhi excise case and reprimanded the ED for making allegations with none corroborative proof. She mentioned each — Rajesh Joshi and Gautam Malhotra — had been central figures within the ED’s and the CBI’s allegations of kickbacks value Rs 100 crore being spent by AAP within the Goa elections, however they had been granted bail on account of no proof.
Atishi known as upon the BJP to come back ahead and apologise for defaming the Kejriwal-led celebration and deceptive the nation. Over the final 12 months, she mentioned, senior BJP leaders and spokespersons performed a number of press conferences to say that an alleged excise coverage rip-off had taken place in Delhi.
The allegations levelled by the BJP on information channels for a number of months later discovered their means into the chargesheets filed by the CBI and the ED, she claimed.
Atishi mentioned the ED has levelled two allegations that Rs 100 crore kickbacks had been obtained from liquor companies and the cash was used within the Goa elections.
“The court order said no evidence had been kept forth by the ED showing any cash payment for bribe or kickbacks. The order said the ED attached some vague statements by witnesses,” she mentioned.
Providing additional particulars, the Delhi minister mentioned that the chargesheets filed by the companies claimed Gautam Malhotra was one of many liquor merchants who allegedly paid kickbacks value Rs 100 crore to AAP.
Reading out an excerpt from the courtroom order, she mentioned, “There is no specific evidence showing any such cash payment towards the payment of bribe or repayment of kickbacks.”
Atishi added that the ED chargesheet filed within the courtroom has claimed kickbacks value Rs 30 crore solely. “So from claiming a scam worth Rs 100 crore first, the ED on its own later changed the figure to Rs 30 crore. The ED has claimed that it was through Rajesh Joshi that this Rs 30 crore worth of kickbacks first came to Delhi, and then through him, this money travelled from Delhi to Goa,” she added.
The Delhi Minister additionally mentioned that the saffron celebration ought to come out and apologise to the nation and say it clearly that they’d been ‘stating lies’ all alongside to defame the AAP, Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia.
The BJP, nonetheless, accused senior AAP leaders of presenting a ‘twisted and deceptive’ reference to the bail order and demanded {that a} contempt of courtroom continuing be initiated in opposition to them. Its Delhi unit president Virendra Sachdeva accused the ruling AAP of attempting to divert public consideration from the scams of its authorities by making irrational statements.
