The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday slammed the BJP for “misleading” the country over the raging DDCA scam even as it posed a fresh set of five questions to union finance minister Arun Jaitley, who was DDCA president from 1999-2013, during which period the mismanagement is allegedly to have taken place.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, AAP leaders Ashutosh and Dilip Pandey said that no agency or committee had ever given a clean chit to Jaitley in the DDCA scam but, they added sarcastically, for a “two-member BJP spokespersons’ committee”.
“It’s amazing that BJP spokespersons are manufacturing clean chits for Mr Jaitley even when the SFIO [Serious Fraud Investigation Office], two judges committee appointed by the court, a fact finding committee of the DDCA has found a massive scam in the dealings of the DDCA. If there is nothing to hide, why doesn’t Mr Jaitely face the probe and cooperate with the Commission of Inquiry set up by the Delhi Government,” said Ashutosh.
“Noted jurist and former Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam has given his consent for heading the Commission of Inquiry set up to probe irregularities in the DDCA. In the letter written to the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Mr. Subramaniam has said that Government of Delhi is well within its rights to set up the Commission. We sincerely hope that the Modi Government, which had written to AAP government in Delhi to probe irregularities in the DDCA, will not drag his feet and become laughing stock,” he said.
Ashutosh also said that former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju has demolished Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung’s argument that Delhi was not a full state, and thus, did not have powers to set up the Commission of Inquiry.
“The Delhi High Court, in its order dated September 23, had refused to stay the proceedings of Commission of Inquiry in the CNG Fitness Scam. Thus, it’s beyond the jurisdiction of the Union Government and it should not interfere in the functioning of the Commission of Inquiry in the DDCA scam,” said Ashutosh, raising a crucial point.
AAP’s Delhi State Convenor Dilip Pandey said, “Mr Jaitley had claimed credit for turning Ferozeshah Kotla into a ‘world class’ stadium. Now, he will have to take blame for corruption in it. He cannot take credit and shift the blame at the same time. Mr Jaitley should cooperate with Commission of Inquiry, appear before it, and plead innocence instead of surviving on ‘clean chits’ by party spokespersons.”
“Mr Jaitley has been telling lies right from the beginning and giving bizarre explanations. We put forth five fore questions for him and expect straight forward answers to these questions,” he said:
Pandey said the questions are:
- Mr. Jaitley, there is an ongoing CBI inquiry in the DDCA scam. You were DDCA president for 14 years and this scam took place when you were at the help of affairs of the DDCA. How can you claim to have been given a clean chit, when the PE [premilinary inquiry] is being conducted by the CBI?
- A DDCA Fact Finding Report, Internal Audit Report, SFIO report, two-judges’ committee report, all point towards a major corruption in the DDCA. Mr Jaitely, when you were president of the DDCA, fictitious companies were floated, crores of rupees were paid to those companies, agarbatti sellers lent their ‘expertise’ to make your ‘world-class’ stadium. How can you plead innocence?
- Mr Jaitley, in the Annual General Meeting of the DDCA in the year 2011-12, you are seen saying [in a CD recording], “I am duty bound to defend my office bearers if criminal cases are lodged against them.” Mr. Jaitley, is it not a clear case of connivance?
- Mr Jaitley, you have been Law Minister of the country and currently you are Finance Minister. You know it only too well that the mandate of the Chetan Sanghi Committee was to recommend further action in the matter, not fixing responsibilities. Why you and your party are spreading rumours about your exoneration?
- Mr. Jaitley, now, since a Commission of Inquiry has been set up, why don’t you come forward and welcome the move and participate in its proceedings, especially because you are so confident of your innocence?