AAP on Wednesday demanded that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe the alleged connection between Union Health Minister JP Nadda and IAS officer Vineet Chaudhary, an accused in Rs 7,000 crore AIIMS scam.
Addressing a press conference, senior party leader Ashutosh said that the BJP-led government at the Centre has been trying to save people involved in the alleged scam that took place between May 2010 and November 2012, when Chaudhary was the deputy of administration.
Ashutosh stated that the scam was later highlighted by the Indian Forest Service Officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi in 2014 after he took charge as AIIMS Chief Vigilance officer. On the basis of Chaturvedi's report, then Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad asked the CBI to register a case against Chaudhary.
"The CBI had told the Delhi High Court that it could not access the documents from the Health Ministry against the officer who is said to be close to Nadda," Ashutosh said.
"Meanwhile, Nadda had also written two letters seeking change of Investigating Officer in the case," he said, adding it clearly shows that the Union Minister has been trying to save Chaudhary.
Slamming CBI for its 'incompetency,' Ashutosh said, "They can raid the offices and residents of Delhi Chief Minister and other AAP leaders but when it comes to the BJP-led government at the Centre, they are unable to even find the documents. AAP wants to know the connection between Nadda and the accused officer," he said.
Last month, the Union Health Ministry had filed an affidavit in the Delhi High Court giving a clean chit to Chaudhary.
"BJP has directed the agencies operating under it to unnecessarily harass the Opposition while its own ministers are helping those involved in serious scams," Ashutosh said.
During Chaudhary's tenure, a Rs 7000-crore project for infrastructural development at AIIMS, and for setting up a cancer hospital in Haryana, was undertaken. Chaturvedi's report found out that there was massive misuse of the funds by Chaudhary and the then head of engineering wing of the Institute BS Anand.
