Hindustan Times (Lucknow)

Fired sex CD minister because AAP is different, says Kejriwal

- HT Correspond­ent

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal called his former women and child welfare minister Sandip Kumar a “rotten fish” on Thursday and is proud to get rid of him for a sex tape in which he was seen with two women.

For his part, the 35-year-old Kumar said he was targeted and framed for being a Dalit. “I am paying for it. There is some conspiracy against me,” he tweeted. He was sacked on Wednesday after a nine-minutelong CD surfaced, containing photograph­s of Kumar with one woman and a video with another.

“We are sorry we had this rotten fish. But I am proud we have not tolerated them,” Kejriwal said in a video message, pointing to Kumar and two other ministers sacked for wrongdoing in the past 19 months.

Kumar betrayed the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP)’s core values and all those who had made huge sacrifices to be a part of the party, even by giving up full-time jobs, he said. “We will prefer to die, close the party or perish than tolerate wrongdoing­s.”

Law minister Jitender Singh Tomar was removed after he was arrested for a fake college degree, while food and supplies minister Asim Ahmed Khan was axed for demanding bribe from a builder.

“We never cover up when we get evidence of any wrongdoing. AAP takes action as soon as we get any evidence,” Kejriwal said.

He dared the BJP and Congress to sack their leaders accused of corruption and misconduct. The remarks came after his rivals mocked him over Kumar’s sex tape.

 ?? RAJ K RAJ/HT ?? Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses daily-wagers during an event at the Talkatora stadium on Thursday.
RAJ K RAJ/HT Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses daily-wagers during an event at the Talkatora stadium on Thursday.

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