‘BJP states spent ₹2k crore to advertise three years of NDA’
ON MARCH 29,LG ANIL BAIJAL HAD DIRECTED THAT ₹97 CRORE SPENT ON ADVERTISEMENTS VIOLATING SUPREME COURT’S GUIDELINES BE RECOVERED FROM AAP
Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states are spending ₹2,000 crore of taxpayer’s money to trumpet the completion of the third anniversary of the NDA government at the centre, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said on Saturday. The BJP denied the allegations.
“We found from our own sources that ₹2,000 crore has been allocated by BJP-ruled states from their budgets. This is being spent on advertisements in newspapers, channels and social networks to announce the completion of three years of the union government,” said Sisodia.
He said the Aam Admi Party would move the Comptroller and Auditor General and the committee that has been set up to monitor the AAP government’s spending on advertisements.
“We would urge the CAG and the committee to perform an audit of the money spent on advertisements and recover the amount from the BJP. The money could then be spent to build hospitals and schools in the respective states,” the deputy chief minister said.
GVL Narsimha Rao, BJP spokesman, said: “These are blatant lies and concoctions by the Aam Aadmi Party. This has become a signature of the AAP style of politics. The shoot and scoot politics may have served them well in the past, but with their credibility gone, no one is taking them seriously now”
On March 29, Lt Governor Anil Baijal had directed that ₹97 crore spent on advertisements violating Supreme Court’s guidelines be recovered from AAP.
Baijal’s order had come after a Centre-appointed panel found the Delhi government guilty of “misusing” taxpayers’ money on advertisements.
The CAG too had pulled up the Kejriwal government for spending ₹29 crore in advertisements outside Delhi, which it said was “beyond its responsibility”.
“We would urge the CAG and the committee to do a comparative audit. They should look into the contents and intent of the advertisements of the AAP government and those given by the BJP ruled states,” Sisodia added.