Hindustan Times (Delhi)

Info and publicity dept secy alleges threat by Sisodia

- Sweta Goswami sweta.goswami@htlive.com

The midnight meeting was only about advertisem­ents and not ration supplies. Earlier, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia had asked Jayadev Sarangi, DIP secretary, to send out advertisem­ents in TV, radio, etc, regarding achievemen­ts of the AAP government. The first line of this advertisem­ent had chief minister Arvind Kejriwal saying: “Humne teen saal mein corruption kam kar diya.”

Sarangi and directorat­e of inforrmati­on and publicity department said they could not go ahead with the advertisem­ent as there was no data or certificat­ion to authentica­te the claim. DTTDC secretary Shurbir Singh was also asked to do the same. However, Singh said DTTDC’S job was to create ads. Publishing/ broadcast on media was the task of DIP. After this, Singh went on leave .

At 8:45pm on Monday, advisor to chief minister, VK Jain, made a phone call to Prakash asking him to be present at CM’S residence at midnight to discuss releasing TV ads related to AAP govt’s three years. CM Kejriwal, deputy CM Manish Sisodia, VK Jain and 11 Mlas/other persons were present at the meeting

CM told the MLAS had come to ask questions about government’s publicity programme One of the MLAS shut the door of the meeting room Prakash explained that the advertisem­ents have to be bound by guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court

MLAS start shouting, abusing and blamed Prakash for not doing enough to publicise the government’s works

Threats made for implicatin­g him in false cases including those under SC/ST act Two MLAS start raining several blows with fists on Prakash’s head. Anshu Prakash leaves the CM’S residence and goes to L-G’S house to complain

BUREAUCRAT­S’ VERSION OF WHAT HAPPENED

NEWDELHI: Hours after the alleged assault on chief secretary Anshu Prakash, secretary of directorat­e of informatio­n and publicity (DIP), Jayadev Sarangi, said deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia had threatened him with dire consequenc­es last year.

Sarangi, an IAS officer of Arunachal Pradesh-goa-mizoram-union Territorie­s (AGMUT) cadre, in a December 2017 complaint to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal said that he was “spending sleepless nights” after Sisodia pulled him up for not publishing an advertoria­l of the health department’s handling of dengue.

Calls and text messages made to government spokespers­on for a response on the allegation­s went unanswered.

“This happened in a meeting held on November 28 last year. I had explained that the department needs to follow the Supreme Court guidelines on photograph­s and publicatio­n in all India editions. The Comptrolle­r and Auditor General of India had also raised objection to such spendings in the past,” Sarangi said. “Arvindkejr­iwal and his Goon MLAS misbehaved and threatened the Chief secretary of NCT Delhi Government last night... another shameful act of

an act of Urban Naxalism...

 ?? SANCHIT KHANNA/HT ??
SANCHIT KHANNA/HT
 ??  ?? #Urbannaxal­itekejriwa­l must Resign
-Manoj Tiwari
#Urbannaxal­itekejriwa­l must Resign -Manoj Tiwari

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