Close X
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
ADVT 
India

AAP-BJP War Rages On, Jaitley Terms Charges 'Untruth'

IANS, 17 Dec, 2015 11:03 AM
  • AAP-BJP War Rages On, Jaitley Terms Charges 'Untruth'
The AAP and the BJP were locked in a bitter war on Thursday, with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seeking Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's resignation for corruption and the latter accusing the AAP leader of spreading "untruth and falsehood".
 
Continuing its attack on Jaitley over alleged corruption when he headed Delhi's cricket association, Kejriwal said Jaitley must resign or should be sacked. The BJP and the central government rejected the demand.
 
Responding to Jaitley's defence of himself, Kejriwal asked: "Can Jaitley's denial be taken as gospel truth? Very serious allegations against him. Why is he running away from investigations?
 
"If Jaitley were (to be) let off without investigations on (the) basis of his press denial, then should all coal and 2G (scandal) accused also be similarly let off?"
 
Kejriwal -- who took on Jaitley two days after accusing the CBI of searching his room while targeting his principal secretary Rajendra Kumar, a charge denied by the CBI -- said huge amounts of money were involved in alleged wrongdoing in the DDCA.
 
Jaitley refuted all this, saying Kejriwal believed in "untruth and only falsehood".
 
 
"Free speech is unquestionably a pre-eminent fundamental right, but does free speech include the right to speak only falsehood? Kejriwal seems to believe in untruth and defamation, delivered in a language that borders on hysteria," the BJP veteran said in a Facebook post.
 
Jaitley denied corruption charges levelled against him by the AAP and also the Congress regarding the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), which he headed for years.
 
"It is a part of propaganda technique to deflect attention when you yourselves are in the dock. Finding himself acting as a shield to cover an officer under investigation, the Delhi chief minister has attempted to focus attention on me," Jaitley said.
 
Parliamentary Affairs Minister and BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu said: "There is no question of the resignation of Jaitley. They (AAP) are playing their political cards. This is no issue."
 
 
Union minister Smriti Irani said: "Political hysteria is being created to deflect attention from a corrupt officer. AAP has made false allegations."
 
Jaitley added: "I left cricket administration in 2013. By referring to some facts of 2014 and 2015, he (Kejriwal) can't drag me in."
 
Earlier, at a press conference, AAP leaders hurled a string of charges against Jaitley.
 
"A free and fair probe cannot be done as long as Jaitley remains in the post," AAP leader Sanjay Singh said. "So he should be removed."
 
The AAP allegations -- an elaboration of what it spoke about a day earlier -- came two days after the CBI raided the office of the principal secretary to Kejriwal on charges of corruption.
 
Kejriwal insisted that the CBI officials had searched his room too and read the file related to the probe report on the DDCA he had ordered. The CBI denied entering his room. 
 
In a related development, former cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi demanded to know that if all was hunky-dory in the DDCA, "then why did the court order the fourth Test (between India and South Africa to be) administered by Justice Mudgal? Will someone please educate me?"
 
Kejriwal, who re-tweeted Bedi's remark, said: "Good point."
 
 
Bedi went on: "Also, if the DDCA house was in order with no corruption, then why did BCCI stop all payment to DDCA and why was incumbent president of DDCA sacked?" Kejriwal again re-tweeted and said: "Agree."
 
Commenting on reports that the BJP had put a gag on its MP and former cricketer Kirti Azad, who has been campaigning against alleged corruption in the DDCA for years, the Delhi chief minister asked: "Is this true? Why is BJP trying to cover up Jaitley's corruption?"

MORE India ARTICLES

There is 'Some Amount of Intolerance', says Venkaiah Naidu

There is 'Some Amount of Intolerance', says Venkaiah Naidu
Admitting "some amount of intolerance" exists in the society, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said in the Rajya Sabha on Monday that the issues need to be "localised and dealt with firmly".

There is 'Some Amount of Intolerance', says Venkaiah Naidu

Chasing Jagtar Singh Tara: How Mastermind Of Punjab CM Beant Singh's Assassination Was Caught

Chasing Jagtar Singh Tara: How Mastermind Of Punjab CM Beant Singh's Assassination Was Caught
Former Delhi Police chief Neeraj Kumar says that nabbing the mastermind of Punjab chief minister Sardar Beant Singh's assassination was the most dangerous operation he ever undertook.

Chasing Jagtar Singh Tara: How Mastermind Of Punjab CM Beant Singh's Assassination Was Caught

Mahajokepal: Swaraj Abhiyan Dares Arvind Kejriwal For Public Debate On Jan Lokpal Bill

Mahajokepal: Swaraj Abhiyan Dares Arvind Kejriwal For Public Debate On Jan Lokpal Bill
Having termed ruling AAP's 2015 ombudsman bill "Mahajokepal", the Swaraj Abhiyan on Sunday challenged Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to a public debate on the Jan Lokpal Bill.

Mahajokepal: Swaraj Abhiyan Dares Arvind Kejriwal For Public Debate On Jan Lokpal Bill

Learn From P Chidambaram, Lift Ban On My Serial: Taslima Nasreen To Mamata

Learn From P Chidambaram, Lift Ban On My Serial: Taslima Nasreen To Mamata
The broadcast of the author’s serial about a Hindu family settled in Kolkata was stopped on the then newly launched ‘Aakash Aath’ channel in December 2013.

Learn From P Chidambaram, Lift Ban On My Serial: Taslima Nasreen To Mamata

Noor Jehan Overjoyed By PM Narendra Modi’s Words Of Praise In ‘Mann Ki Baat’

Noor Jehan Overjoyed By PM Narendra Modi’s Words Of Praise In ‘Mann Ki Baat’
"I am extremely happy that the Prime Minister took my name and praised my work. It is a morale booster," Noor Jehan said as she welcomed scores of BJP leaders and media persons who flocked her home.

Noor Jehan Overjoyed By PM Narendra Modi’s Words Of Praise In ‘Mann Ki Baat’

Pakistani Spy Racket Busted; BSF Man, ISI-linked Handler Arrested

Pakistani Spy Racket Busted; BSF Man, ISI-linked Handler Arrested
Kafaitullah Khan alias Master Raja (44) and Border Security Force (BSF) head constable Abdul Rasheed were arrested from Jammu on November 26.

Pakistani Spy Racket Busted; BSF Man, ISI-linked Handler Arrested