MLAs from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and opposition BJP pulled an all-nighter in the Delhi Assembly on Monday with both sides accusing each other of corruption. While AAP demanded a CBI probe against Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena for allegedly pressurizing officials to exchange demonetized notes worth Rs 1,400 crore in 2016, BJP demanded the resignation of Manish Sisodia whom it accused of graft in the now-rescinded Delhi Excise Policy.
The ruling party, which has had myriad run-ins with the Centre since it assumed power in 2013, staged a sit-in near Mahatma Gandhi's bust. The BJP MLAs sat near the idols of legendary freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru and Sukhdev.
Senior AAP MLA Atishi claimed Saxena had pressured officials to exchange the whopping amount when he was the chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission.
"Saxena had done a scam to whiten black money during demonetisation worth Rs 1,400 crore in 2016 when he was Khadi and Village Industries Commission, Chairman. We are demanding the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigate this matter," Atishi said.
Calling the alleged act money laundering, she demanded the removal of Saxena as the Centre's representative in the nation's capital.
"Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 should look into this. CBI and ED should also conduct a raid at every place Saxena has previously worked. He should be sacked from his position until the investigation is finished," AAP leader said.
The two parties have been clashing since CBI raided Sisodia's house in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case. The AAP has claimed the case was clamped on the AAP leader as Arvind Kejriwal had emerged as an alternative to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
BJP has been demanding the resignation of Sisodia.
"Sisodia was charged by the CBI with corruption in the 2021-22 excise policy which the AAP administration subsequently withdrew. There has been corruption in the cores in Delhi. If everything was fine with the policy, why did the government take it back? Arvind Kejriwal needs to respond," BJP MLA, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri told ANI.
"We want an explanation from Kejriwal about why he is running when there have been numerous scams where the Kejriwal administration has been accused of engaging in corruption," he asked.
BJP MLA Vijendra Gupta said the party is afraid as their corruption has been exposed.
With inputs from ANI
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