“As per an RTI information, Rajender Kumar, the incumbent Secretary to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was the Transport Commissioner when the Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) submitted its report. It was Kumar who played an important role to bury the report and save the officers,” alleged Satish Upadhyay, Delhi BJP chief.
ACB had registered an FIR in the Rs 100-crore CNG fitness scam in 2012 and submitted its report in 2013 when Kumar was the Delhi government’s Transport Commissioner. “Former Minister for Transport Ramakant Goswami rubbished the ACB’s report and directed Kumar to talk to officers concerned in the ACB to cover up the matter” alleged Upadhyay. The scam recently came to light when the Kejriwal government directed the ACB to re-open the case and indicated it to lodge an FIR against Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung.
The issue raised the temperature between Chief Minister and Lt Governor, when the former and his minister blamed Jung for covering up the issue. The LG in a press communication issued a clarification that he had acted as per the report of a judicial commission and had done nothing wrong.
“If Kejriwal is really honest, he must suspend Rajender Kumar and recommend a CBI inquiry into the matter,” said Upadhyay.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta, has alleged that the government and the Speaker passed the VAT Amendment Bill in the House without discussion.
“Deputy CM Manish Sisodia mislead the people of Delhi and media that the Opposition did not participate in the discussion. In fact, <g data-gr-id="41">discussion</g> was not allowed and the Speaker went directly for voting. It was only after we walked out from the House, some AAP MLAs were asked to put their views. The government do not want to listen to the Opposition,” said Gupta.
The BJP leaders alleged that the behavior of the AAP government has been undemocratic and it always gags the Opposition.
The three BJP MLAs also decided to move a proposal in the House to accept only secretarial expenses but no pay after BJP MLA OP Sharma proposed that he was ready to work on a token payment Re 1 only.