Kapil Mishra, Vijender Gupta spar in Assembly over tanker scam

The last day of the Delhi Assembly session today witnessed heated argument between water minister Kapil Mishra and leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta over alleged water tanker scam during former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit’s regime.

Gupta’s question on the alleged water scam was taken up during the question hour, but the water minister’s reply irked him when he said the leader of Opposition should ask the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) to probe Dikshit’s role in the case.

Replying to the BJP leader’s question, Mishra admitted that there was irregularity in the purchase of water tanker during the regime of Congress.

“I had given him (Gupta) the fact finding committee’s report around 70 days ago in this Assembly. But again, he is asking the same question, which means he had not read the report. I have given the same report to the Prime Minister, L-G and even ACB.

“They don’t have courage to summon Sheila Dikshit but they summoned me, despite the fact, that I am the complainant in the case,” he said in the House.

Gupta, an MLA from Rohini, demanded termination of contract of the company which was involved in the alleged irregularities.

“Government has diluted the report of the committee. The report clearly confirms corruption in purchase, but it has not black listed the company so far,” he said.

Mishra said the committee did not have the power to summon Dikshit or any official and that is why the ACB was asked to probe the matter.

Speaker Ram Niwas Goel also said that when the Anti-Corruption Branch can conduct raid at the office of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) then why can’t it summon Delhi Jal Board officials.