Live Updates: AAP rubbishes Kapil Mishra's allegations

Live Updates:

2.40 pm: Kumar Vishwas, who was recently made AAP in-charge of Rajasthan, said: "I can never imagine Arvind Kejriwal indulging in corrupt practices, even his enemies won't believe it."

2.16 pm: Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari demanded Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to resign from his post immediately. Addressing a press conference, Tiwari said: "He (Mishra) raised this issue before the chief minister earlier. He asked Kejriwal to apologise to the party for taking money from Satyendra Jain. What was the outcome of the meeting? They sacked him from the party."

Demanding Kerjiwal's resignation, Tiwari said: "You don't have the moral right to remain as chief minister of Delhi. Kejriwal must must resign immediately. He has left behind even the likes of Lalu Prasad Yadav in terms of corruption."

2.00 pm: Speaking with news channel NDTV, Puducherry L-G Kiran Bedi called for an independent investigation. "Whether they (allegations) are proved or not is not the issue. When such allegations are made, they must be probed. It is like any other complaint. This matter requires an independent investigation," Bedi said. On AAP refusing to comment on the allegations, Bedi said that the party has the right to defend itself.

1.10 pm: Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken, addressing the press, said: "Kapil Mishra made serious allegations. He himself saw that Satyendra Jain gave Rs 2 crore to Arvind Kejriwal. It is an affidavit he gave before the entire country. Shunglu committee has also raised corruption charges against the AAP government. Not a single FIR was filed based on the Shunglu committee. When no report has been filed then how can we believe that the Centre is serious in fighting against corruption. A case must be registered under Prevention of Corruption Act."

12.45 pm:

Conglomerate of Corrupts masquerading as Fighters against corruption have been completely exposed!
Captain Corrupt should RESIGN!!

— Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) May 7, 2017

12.30 pm: Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia rubbished the allegations levelled against AAP leaders by Mishra. "Today, the allegations made against the party do not merit a response. Nobody will believe it," he said. Sisodia added that perhaps Mishra was unhappy that he was removed as minister.

12.15 pm: Reacting to the claims, Congress leader Ajay Maken took to Twitter demanding answers. "Now, Kapil Mishra alleges that he has himself seen Satyendra Jain giving Rs 2 crores cash to Kejriwal! This is a serious charge! Any answers?" he tweeted.

12.00 pm: Mishra concludes his press conference at Raj Ghat.

11.58 am: "We trusted Kejriwal, thought he is honest and thus we used to send reports of corruption to him," Mishra said.

11.55 am: Mishra alleges that he saw Satyendra Jain paid Rs 2 crore to Arvind Kejriwal.

11.54 am: Mishra raises questions over AAP funding before Punjab polls.

11.52 am: Mishra defends his political record, says "I am the only untainted minister."

11.50 am: Claiming that he was sacked after he spoke out against corruption within the party, Mishra said that he is ready to give evidence to the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation. "I had sought appointment with the ACB before being sacked," Mishra said.

11.49 am: "When I became minister, I sent a report against Sheila Dikshit to CM (Kejriwal). What happened to that report after that everyone knows," he said.

11.48 am: "There has been a talk that I was removed because of water issues," Mishra said.

11:25 am: Kapil Mishra will be briefing the press shortly.

11:00 am: Kapil Mishra finishes meeting with Lieutenant governor.

i have witnessed HIM taking illegal cash.. have shared all details with Lt. Gov.
चुप रहना असंभव था। कुर्सी क्या प्राण भी जाये तो जाए

— Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishraAAP) May 7, 2017

10:30 am: Kumar Vishwas reaches Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's residence.

After his termination from the portfolio, Water minister Kapil Mishra met Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Sunday morning before his planned press conference on the expose at Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi's memorial, at 11:30 am. Before leaving for L-G Baijal's residence, Mishra, when asked whether he would be joining the Bharatiya Janata Party, told news agency ANI: "I am founder member of AAP and will always remain in the party."

Major developments:

1. Kapil Mishra, considered close to Kumar Vishwas who headlined the AAP's internal crisis that spilled out in the open last week, said he had met Mr Kejriwal earlier on Saturday and had shared "explosive details" with the AAP chief, adding that he would go public with it.
2. "Arvind Kejriwal is directly calling up many AAP leaders and legislators... huge conspiracy ahead of my press conference... won't stop, won't bend," Mr Mishra said in a tweet in Hindi few hours later, targeting the Chief Minister.
3. The legislator from east Delhi's Karawal Nagar, who told reporters that he had received "no official communication yet" regarding his sacking, alleged that his removal had nothing to do with the party's defeat in the municipal elections.
4. "I will reveal big names, and may be because of those names, such a decision has been made," Mr Mishra said. "I am Kapil Mishra and Kejriwal knows the role I have played against corruption," he added.
5. An inquiry into the tanker scam set up by the AAP government had last year put the size of the scam at Rs. 400 crore, blaming former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for creating artificial water scarcity in parts of the national capital to benefit the "tanker mafia". Mr Mishra claimed he would "expose" the involvement of certain AAP leaders in the scam.
6. Earlier on Saturday, announcing Mr Mishra's removal, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that the minister had worked hard but "water management was not up to the mark. There were complaints about water not reaching people".
7. Dismissing the allegations, Mr Mishra tweeted, "I am the only minister with no corruption charges. No CBI enquiry against me. Have not given any benefit to my daughter or any of my relatives. I have exposed Sheila (Dikshit's) corruption". The "daughter" reference is being seen as an apparent jibe at Health Minister Satyendar Jain; he appointed his daughter as an adviser who subsequently quit after a controversy broke out last year.
8. In a tweet that coincided with Mr Mishra's sacking and appeared to back him, Kumar Vishwas said, "I want to assure the country and party workers that we will continue to raise our voice against corruption, within and without, irrespective of what the outcome is."
9. Like Mr Vishwas, Mr Mishra was one of the few AAP leaders who had contradicted the party's stand blaming Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for its humiliating defeat in the Delhi municipal elections after the drubbing in Goa and Punjab. "Yes, we have to reconnect with the people and understand reasons for this defeat," Mr Mishra had said.
10. The party also inducted two new faces into the cabinet - Seemapuri MLA Rajendra Pal Gautam and Najafgarh legislator Kailash Gahlot who will replace Mr Mishra as the Water Minister.