AAP poses 5 queries to Arun Jaitley over DDCA

The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday put “five specific” questions to Union finance minister Arun Jaitley relating to its allegations of corruption in the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) under his watch and accused him of giving “vague” responses to the charges.

Also, BJP MP Kirti Azad, who had been gunning for Mr Jaitley over alleged irregularities in the DDCA during his tenure, remained defiant and said he would hold a press conference on the issue on Sunday. The cricketer-turned-politician was summoned on Friday evening by BJP president Amit Shah in an apparent bid to dissuade him from raking up his allegations when the finance minister is already being targeted by the AAP. Mr Shah, sources said, advised the Darbhanga MP to exercise restraint.

While Trinamul Congress member Saugata Roy made a strong plea for a discussion in the Lok Sabha next week on the affairs of the DDCA in the wake of allegations concerning the finance minister, the BJP hit back alleging that Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had become a “champion of lies” from a self-appointed champion against corruption and was “abusing” everybody to save his “corrupt” colleagues.

While Mr Kejriwal made fresh allegations — that the CBI has been asked to “target” the Opposition and “finish those who don’t fall in line”, his party leaders called Mr Jaitley a “master of half-truths and beautiful lies”. In his tweet, the CM said, “A CBI officer told me yesterday that the CBI has been asked to target all Opposition parties and finish those who don’t fall in line.”

Addressing a press conference, senior AAP leader Ashutosh accused the DDCA of allowing private firm 21st Century to sub-lease 10 corporate boxes at Feroze Shah Kotla Stadium and claimed the firm, owned by a friend of Mr Jaitley, was extended financial benefit to the tune of over Rs 5 crore for the deal. He asked Mr Jaitley to clarify who were members of 21st Century and whether they included any of his kin.

The AAP leader also accused the finance minister of putting pressure on ONGC to give Rs 5 crore to Hockey India and sought to know what the reason behind it. Alleging huge financial bungling in reconstruction of the Feroze Shah Kotla Stadium, he said although public sector entity EPIL was paid Rs 57 crore for the project, the remaining Rs 57 crore, out of a total expenditure of Rs 114 crore, was distributed among nine companies.

“The registered address, email and directors of these companies were same. Did Jaitley know about these companies and is it not corruption,” asked Mr Ashutosh. On Mr Jaitley’s comments that the SFIO report had absolved him, the AAP leader said the finance minister hid the fact that punishment for offences mentioned by the Central agency included imprisonment.

Senior leader Sanjay Singh said, “We had raised specific questions and Jaitley gave vague answers. That is why we are coming out with five specific questions for him.”

In the Lok Sabha, Trinamul Congress member Saugata Roy made a strong plea for a discussion in the House next week on the affairs of the DDCA in the wake of allegations concerning the finance minister. Making a submission on the agenda for next week’s business, Mr Roy said the issue needed to be discussed as the Delhi CM has talked about irregularities in the association when Mr Jaitley was its president.

Hitting back at AAP, the BJP dismissed as “false and foolish” the five questions posed to the finance minister and accused the AAP of using “diversionary tactics” to deflect attention from the corruption charges against Mr Kejriwal’s principal secretary.

“Jaitley has been in public life for longer than the age of Kejriwal and his integrity has never been in question. Kejriwal and his party have been levelling such false and foolish charges just to save a corrupt officer,” BJP media cell in-charge Shrikant Sharma said, wondering why the AAP was going to such lengths to save an officer. “Kejriwal is abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jaitley, and is attacking media.”

Mr Sharma alleged that Mr Kejriwal has always defended colleagues found on the wrong side of the law and recalled how he had protected former Delhi law ministers Jitender Singh Tomar and Somnath Bharti, who have faced charges of forging certificates and domestic violence, respectively, and were arrested. “Kejriwal was a self-appointed champion against corruption. In power, he has become a champion of lies,” Mr Sharma said, adding that in his frustration Mr Kejriwal was also targeting the media.