AAP rejects mandate of panel on recovery of ad expenditure

The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday claimed the three-member panel, which recommended recovery of Rs 97 crore from the Delhi government for spending on advertisements, does not have any mandate for the same.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and senior party leader Manish Sisodia, who also holds portfolio of Information and Publicity, said the AAP government was being "selectively targeted" when no questions are being raised on ads issued by other state governments.

Sisodia added that the AAP government did not splurge money, but tried to communicate the "good work" done by it to the people. He also appeared defiant and said the AAP government would "continue to engage with people" through ads despite the recovery suit.

Earlier this week, Lt Governor Anil Baijal had directed that Rs 97 crore be recovered from AAP that was allegedly "splurged" by the city government on advertisements in violation of the Supreme Court guidelines, following the recommendations of the Centre-appointed threemember panel.

The three-member committee comprised adman Piyush Pandey, journalist Rajat Sharma and former Chief Election Commissioner B B Tandon.

"The Supreme Court guidelines did not give any such power to the committee to order recovery of ad spending of any government.