Excise policy: Dy CM's charges desperate man's falsehoods, says Baijal

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing excise policy row, former Delhi lieutenant governor Anil Baijal on Tuesday rejected Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's allegations as "baseless" and "falsehoods perpetrated by a desperate man to save his skin", while the AAP government accused him of "diverting" from the issue.

In a hard-hitting statement, Baijal said Sisodia is trying to find an alibi for himself and his colleagues' "acts of commission and omissions".

Soon after, Lt Governor V K Saxena came out in support of his predecessor, expressing "grave objection" over "deliberately misleading" and "baseless" allegations levelled by Sisodia.

Saxena also advised Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to ensure his colleagues refrain from such "petty behaviour".

Sisodia, who also heads the excise department, had last Saturday accused Baijal of changing his stand on the Excise Policy 2021-22 and blocking liquor vends in non-conforming areas of Delhi by laying down a new condition two days before its implementation on November 17, 2021.

He had also said Baijal's decision "benefitted" some licensees while causing a "loss" of thousands of crores of rupees to the Delhi government.

"Mr. Sisodia is trying to find some alibi for his and his colleagues' acts of commission and omissions. The charges are nothing but blatant lies and falsehoods being perpetrated by a desperate man to save his own skin," Baijal said.