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.
Mishra, 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 Satyendra 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 swirling 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.
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