AAP govt violated rules, promoted cartelisation to benefit liquor firms, says Lekhi

New Delhi: The Arvind Kejriwal government violated rules and procedures and promoted cartelisation to benefit liquor firms in Delhi, Union minister and senior BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi alleged on Friday.

Hitting out at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who defended his deputy and Excise minister Manish Sisodia after a CBI probe into the Excise Policy 2021-22 was recommended by Lt Governor VK Saxena, she said a "scam" in the liquor trade in Delhi led to huge losses to the public exchequer.

"The AAP government violated rules and procedures to promote cartelisation to benefit liquor companies in Delhi," Lekhi said, and claimed that a waiver of over Rs 144.36 crore was given to licensees and earnest money deposit worth Rs 30 crore of one company was refunded without following rules and processes.

At a press briefing, Kejriwal claimed Sisodia will be framed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a fake case and defended him as "Kattar Imandar" (dead honest person) who developed world class education in Delhi.

The chief minister also said Sisodia, like his colleague Satyendar Jain who is presently behind bars in an alleged money laundering case, could also be arrested in a "fake" case.

Lekhi said she did not know who will go to jail but there were documents and signatures of people establishing their culpability in the decisions taken and irregularities committed in executing the the new excise policy.

Saxena has recommended a CBI probe into Excise Policy 2021-22 of AAP government over alleged violation of rules and procedural lapses.