Delhi govt orders probe, Jaitley files defamation case

The decision to form the commission of inquiry came amid AAP’s fierce attack on Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over alleged irregularities in DDCA during his 13-year-old tenure as its chief.

While Jaitley has filed defamation cases against AAP leaders, Kejriwal has hit back by constituting a Commission of Inquiry and summoning a special session of the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday to discuss the issue.

“Arun Jaitley should not try to scare us by filing cases. Our fight against corruption will continue,” said Arvind Kejriwal in a tweet on Monday evening. In another tweet he mentioned: “Jaitley Ji should cooperate with the Commission of Inquiry and prove his innocence there.”

The day started with Jaitley filing a civil defamation case of Rs 10 crore against Kejriwal and five others in Delhi high court for making “false” statements against him and his family members. The five AAP leaders named in the defamation suit are Kumar Vishwas, Ashutosh, Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chadha and Deepak Bajpayee. His advocate Manik Dogra said the civil suit on behalf of Jaitley would come up in the normal course of listing. Sanjay Singh, who is leading AAP’s counter attack, claimed that he will file an FIR against Jaitley “very soon”. AAP has also said that it will fight Jaitley in the people’s court.

“The Cabinet gave a nod to set up a Commission of Inquiry to probe the alleged irregularities in the DDCA, pursuant to the letter by the Union Sports Ministry earlier this year and based on the recommendations of the three member committee which was set up by the Delhi government last month,” said Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia briefing the decisions of the Delhi Cabinet meeting. The one hour long Cabinet meeting started in Delhi Secretariat at 11 am. 

“Delhi Cabinet approved the convening of a special session of the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday to discuss DDCA and CBI raid,” added Sisodia. Former Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium will chair the one member Commission of Inquiry informed Sisodia.

Meanwhile, the Finance Minister accompanied by Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani and Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu, personally appeared before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sanjay Khanagwal in Patiala House Court and filed the suit alleging that the Delhi CM and other AAP leaders had defamed him by accusing that he was involved in the alleged corruption in DDCA. The court took cognisance of the offence and fixed 2 pm on January 5 as next date of hearing into the matter. 

The other respondents in the suit are AAP leaders Ashutosh, Kumar Vishwas, Raghav Chaddha, Deepak Bajpyee and Sanjay Singh.

Jaitley’s miseries were accentuated with BJP MLA Kirti Azad mocking the defamation suit saying why he was not named him in the suit. Speaking on the issue in both the House of Parliament, Jaitley said the allegations against him were baseless and devoid of truth.