Sacked AAP minister accuses Kejriwal of graft

Sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra on Sunday accused Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of taking Rs 2 crore from his cabinet colleague, a charge refuted by Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.

The allegation by Mishra, who was sacked from the AAP dispensation on Saturday night, came amid growing rumblings in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Mishra, whose surprise sacking came days after he sided with senior party leader Kumar Vishwas who has been at loggerheads with the AAP leadership, said he has given a statement to Lt Governor Anil Baijal regarding various irregularities seen by him during his two-year stint as a Cabinet minister in the Kejriwal government.

"I saw with my own eyes Satyender Jain giving Rs 2 crore in cash to Arvind Kejriwal at his residence. When I asked Kejriwal, he said such things happen in politics and it will be revealed later," Mishra told reporters after paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his memorial at Rajghat here.

Later on Sunday evening, Mishra said a tweet:

"I am going to ACB office at 11 am on Monday morning. I am going to name two persons in connection with the tanker scam."

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the allegations of corruption levelled by Mishra did not merit a response.

"His allegations do not merit a response. He has been sacked due to poor performance," Sisodia told reporters.

"The allegations are so absurd and there are no facts," he added.

Senior AAP leader Kumar Vishwas on Sunday came out in support of Arvind Kejriwal, saying he has known him for 12 years and even his enemies cannot imagine him taking a bribe.

"We can disagree, fight or be disappointed with each other ... I know Arvind for 12 years and I can say that I cannot imagine him taking a bribe or being corrupt ... even his enemies cannot imagine this," he told reporters.

"Kejriwal has said this 100 times that he should be removed if he is corrupt. I have called Satyender Jain and asked him to explain his position in the PAC ... whether he is being framed or has there been a mistake, we are ready for an investigation ... be it an ED or a CBI probe," Vishwas said.

Meanwhile, opposition parties on Sunday called for the Delhi CM to step down.

The Delhi unit of BJP demanded the resignation of Kejriwal on moral grounds.

Manoj Tiwari, the city unit chief of the BJP, said Kejriwal should step down if he has any morality left with him. Tiwari said he would meet Lt Governor Anil Baijal and urge for his intervention in the matter.

Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken also sought Kejriwal's resignation over the "graft" charges, adding that the party had "lost its anti- corruption plank."