Close X
Wednesday, November 6, 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

5-Year-Old And 2-Year-Old Gang-Raped In Delhi, Kejriwal Questions PM Modi, LG Najeeb Jung

5-Year-Old And 2-Year-Old Gang-Raped In Delhi, Kejriwal Questions PM Modi, LG Najeeb Jung
The two-and-a-half-year-old, who was raped by two men in west Delhi's Nangloi area, continued to be in a critical condition on Saturday while the five-year-old was raped by three men in east Delhi's Anand Vihar.

5-Year-Old And 2-Year-Old Gang-Raped In Delhi, Kejriwal Questions PM Modi, LG Najeeb Jung

Acid Attack Victims Walk The Ramp In Agra

Acid Attack Victims Walk The Ramp In Agra
The unique fashion show was organised by Max, leading international value fashion brand, to celebrate the spirit of 'Sheroes' by launching its festival collection.

Acid Attack Victims Walk The Ramp In Agra

Cornered, Haryana CM Khattar Offers 'Regrets' On Beef Remarks

Cornered, Haryana CM Khattar Offers 'Regrets' On Beef Remarks
Khattar was quoted by an English daily on Friday as saying that "Muslims can continue to live in this country, but they will have to give up eating beef as the cow is an article of faith here".

Cornered, Haryana CM Khattar Offers 'Regrets' On Beef Remarks

Nand Bhardwaj, Leading Rajasthani And Hindi Writer Returns Sahitya Akademi Award

Nand Bhardwaj, Leading Rajasthani And Hindi Writer Returns Sahitya Akademi Award
In a letter addressed to Sahitya Akademi, Bhardwaj said: "There is growing concern among writers and intelligentsia against attacks and killing by hardline communal forces and the failure of Sahitya Akademi to stand up for them 

Nand Bhardwaj, Leading Rajasthani And Hindi Writer Returns Sahitya Akademi Award

Sacrilege Of Guru Granth Sahib:Tension In Punjab, Bandh After Kotkapura Firing Impacts Several Areas

Sacrilege Of Guru Granth Sahib:Tension In Punjab, Bandh After Kotkapura Firing Impacts Several Areas
At least two people were killed and nearly 70 injured, including police officials, on Wednesday in bloody clashes between police and Sikhs 

Sacrilege Of Guru Granth Sahib:Tension In Punjab, Bandh After Kotkapura Firing Impacts Several Areas

Punjab Announces Rs.1 Crore Reward For Information On Desecrators Of Guru Granth Sahib

Badal, who is also the state home minister, said the information on the heinous incident should be passed on to Bathinda range deputy inspector general of police Ranbir Singh Khattra.

Punjab Announces Rs.1 Crore Reward For Information On Desecrators Of Guru Granth Sahib