Kejriwal took 2crore bribe, says exminister
CORRUPTION CHARGE AAP dismisses Kapil Mishra’s allegation, says CM clean
Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, who rose from being an anti-corruption crusader to Delhi chief minister, became the target of a graft charge on Sunday as his former water minister, Kapil Mishra, accused him of accepting ~2 crore from a cabinet colleague.
The accusation is the latest in a string of troubles that has engulfed the ruling AAP, after its crushing defeat in the city’s April civic elections and the assembly polls in Punjab and Goa.
Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia dismissed the charges against Kejriwal, who rode to power two years ago vowing to stamp out corruption.
Mis hr a, who was sacked on Saturday night, cast aspersions on the integrity of the chief minister, saying a conspiracy was hatched against him because of the alleged ~400-crore water tanker scandal in the Delhi government.
He said he saw Kejriwal take ~2 crore from health minister Sat yen dr a Jain and demanded to know what the money was for.
“When I asked Kejriwal what is this for, he refused to answer and said such things happen in politics and he will explain to me later,” he said. “This is not a political allegation. These are details of whatever I have seen happening in front on my eyes at the CM’s house.”
Also, Mishra alleged that Jain had told him that he had settled a land deal for a Kejriwal relative at ~50 crore. “When I asked Kejriwal about it, he said this is false and I should trust him,” he said.
The allegations bolstered swirlthat
It is disheartening to see my former colleague in corruption crusade Kejriwal facing charges of accepting money... ANNA HAZARE, activist
ing speculation about a raging infighting within the AAP, as Kejriwal had just about managed last week to douse an internal fire after legislator Amanatullah Khan accused senior leader Kumar Vishwas of being an “agent” of the BJP and RSS.
Khan was suspended, while Vishwas was pacified with the post of Rajasthan in-charge of the party. Mishra is considered close to Vishwas and had reportedly taken his side during the controversy. For his part, Vishwas, who was having a troubled relationship with the party, defended the chief minister.
“I know Arvind Kejriwal for the past 12 years and after having worked with him for so long I can say that I can’t even think Arvind Kejriwal will do corruption or take a bribe. Even his enemies won’t believe this.”
Deputy chief minister Sisodia said the former minister’ s charges were not worth responding to.
“He was removed due to his poor performance. The allegations against Kejriwal are unsubstantiated. No one will believe them.” Mishra stood his ground, though. He alleged that he was removed for putting pressure on the party leadership to act against corruption. “I have proof for the tanker scam, which I will put before the anti-corruption branch,” he said, underscoring he would give his statement before the CBI or the anti-corruption bureau if required.
Mishra alleged that there are other instances of corruption in the party such as money laundering, black money, and a scandal involving luxury buses. But “I always believed in Kejriwal and felt no one could corrupt him”.
“I will say that it was Kejriwal’s bad luck that I reached there and saw this thing happening. I worshiped him like god, I left my job for the party,” said the former AAP minister.