AAP leaders 'lying' over issuance of tender for 1,000 buses, says BJP

New Delhi: The Delhi BJP on Monday accused AAP leaders of lying over the issuance of tender for procurement of 1,000 buses that is currently being probed by the CBI, saying not only the tender was awarded but work orders were also issued by the Kejriwal government.

The AAP leaders should prove that there was no tender for the purchase and maintenance of buses or apologise for "lying" on the issue, Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said.

"Kejriwal government itself replied in the Assembly that after the decision of the cabinet, not only tenders were issued but work orders were placed, and contracts were also signed with companies," Bidhuri said. The work order was later kept in abeyance after the BJP MLAs brought the "scam" in procurement of buses to light and complained to the Lieutenant Governor, he claimed.

AAP MLA and party's chief spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj had said on Sunday, "In this matter, neither a single bus was purchased, nor even a rupee was paid to anybody. Then where did the corruption take place?"

The Kejriwal government put the tender process on hold after "some inquiry" was initiated against it, he had said.

"It was decided not to go ahead with the tender process till the conclusion of the inquiry. It is still on hold for the past two years and we could not purchase even a single bus," Bharadwaj said. The CBI, which had registered a PE (preliminary inquiry) case in the matter, has also been conducting a probe into it for about one-and-a-half years but it is yet to claim any

breakthrough.

Bidhuri said AAP leaders claim in a press conference that no tender has been floated in this matter was misleading.

Meanwhile, responding to these allegations, AAP's statement says: "This challenge is nothing but a symbol of BJP's frustration. When they found nothing against the AAP even after sending the ED, CBI, Police, Income Tax behind us, they have resorted to baseless allegations and slander."