With a week to go for the Municipal Corporation polls in the national Capital, the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party government, in connivance with the Congress, has continued with the "water tanker scam", instead of terminating the contract of the firms involved in it.
Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta, at a press conference held at the party office here on Saturday, raked up the issue of the alleged scam, which incidentally was highlighted by the Arvind Kejriwal-led party last year.
"They flock to JNU, Ramjas College and Hyderabad, together, in the wake of any issue. And, Kejriwal, who assumed charge after Sheila Dikshit as the CM, continued with the water tanker scam, instead of terminating the contract of the companies involved," he alleged.
"The Congress and the AAP are sharing the money from this scam," he claimed.
Gupta, at the press conference, even named four private companies, which he alleged are involved in the "water tankers scam".
"I want to ask Kejriwal, who claims his party came to power on anti-graft plank, as to why he did not cancel the contract of those companies or make for alternate arrangements," he said.
The BJP MLA from Rohini also claimed that a "10-year contract with the private companies was signed in 2002 for supply of water through water tankers."
The Aam Aadmi Party government in June 2015 had constituted a fact-finding committee to probe the irregularities in hiring nearly 385 stainless steel water tankers by the Delhi Jal Board in 2012, during Sheila Dikshit's rule.
"Both, Congress and AAP are two sides of the same coin. Water minister Kapil Mishra several times replied in House that the Centre-led ACB (Anti-Corruption Bureau) has rejected three FIRs against Sheila Dikshit, which was registered in first 49 days of AAP government. Now again, our government has sent fact-finding report to Lieutenant Governor and Prime Minister Office," Gupta said.
It may be mentioned here that the five-member fact-finding committee was constituted by Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra.
Its report submitted to Kejriwal in August 2015 highlights alleged corruption of Rs 400 crore in the process of awarding tenders for hiring water tankers.