Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Friday ordered a CBI inquest into the alleged violations of the Delhi Excise Policy and “deliberate and gross procedural lapses” by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia as in charge of the Excise Department of the Delhi government. The inquiry was recommended after a report by the Chief Secretary filed on 8 July established prima facie violation of GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR) 1993, Delhi Excise Act 2009 and Delhi Excise Rules 2010. The report also alleged that Sisodia extended benefits worth Rs. 144 cr to the liquor mafia.
According to well-placed sources, Sisodia allegedly provided undue favours to
liquor licensees in the tender process for the year 2021–22 and will be probed for alleged deliberate and gross procedural lapses. Sisodia is alleged to have executed decisions in violation of the statutory provisions of the excise policy. Such “undue financial favours” to the liquor licensees after the deadline for awarding tenders caused huge losses to the exchequer, said the sources. The new excise policy was passed in Delhi Cabinet in the middle of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. The move was allegedly made to benefit private liquor barons.
Reacting sharply to the move by the LG office, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday rubbished the allegations made against Sisodia for violating the excise policy terming it to be a false case and alleged that the Central government could not bear to see the expansion of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). “We are not scared of jails, not scared of the noose. They have made several cases against our people. The AAP has been growing since its win in Punjab. The AAP’s time has come. They cannot see us rise to a national level thus they are resorting to such measures. But nothing will stop us,” Kejriwal said while addressing media persons here on Friday.
In a related development, meanwhile, Union Minister and BJP leader Meenakashi Lekhi sought full details of the case after LG Saxena sought CBI probe. Addressing the media in the day, Lekhi said, “Kejriwal ji should give full details of this scam on the basis of facts.” She further questioned why the Delhi government hurried to sign the papers without setting the agenda for the excise policy.
Hitting back at the Centre, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “We’d been saying the 2016 situation would return, enquiries by CBI, Income Tax, ED would be launched to stop us. They are trying all means to hinder our work. They have been after Dy CM Manish Sisodia, after our Health Minister Satyendar Jain.”
The face-off between the LG office and the AAP government came 57 days after Saxena took oath of office.