Expressing “grave objection” over “deliberately misleading” and “baseless” allegations levelled by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia against former Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal amid the excise policy row, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Tuesday advised Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to ensure his colleagues refrain from such “petty behaviour”.
Earlier on Tuesday, Baijal rejected as “baseless and motivated” charges levelled against him by Sisodia and said it was an attempt by a “desperate man to save his own skin”.
“LG VK Saxena, having read the clear & categorical statement issued by former LG, Anil Baijal, expressed grave objection to the deliberately misleading, baseless & motivated allegations made by Shri Sisodia & other AAP leaders against Shri Baijal over last few days,” the Raj Niwas tweeted.
“Saxena has advised Kejriwal to ensure that his colleagues in the Government and party, refrain from such petty behaviour and statements,” it said.
“They are nothing but blatant lies and falsehoods being perpetrated by a desperate man to save his own skin. Sisodia is trying to find some alibi, and his colleagues’ acts of commission and omissions. During the implementation of the new Delhi Excise Policy, on several occasions, I had flagged the unlawful decisions taken by the AAP Government which had to be amended on files. These facts are now in the public domain,” the statement said.
Responding to Baijal’s statement, the AAP said that instead of diverting from the actual issue, the ex-LG needs to answer, what made him change his stand just 48 hours before opening of the shops? “Why did he deliberately cause so much loss to the Government and gave undue favours to selected licensees? Who forced him to take a stand against the policy passed by the cabinet and LG himself?” the AAP said.
Making his stand clear, Baijal said, “In the matter of not allowing liquor vends in non-conforming areas, I discharged my constitutional responsibility of upholding the laws of the land. No law in Delhi, even today, allows for the opening of Liquor Vends in non-conforming areas.”
“In view of the multiple cases which came to be filed during that period and their pendency in courts and further in view of various observations made therein, I had decided to set up a committee under the chairmanship of VC-DDA with divisional commissioner, excise commissioner, commissioner’s of DMC’s, secretary (IT) and representative of National Institute of Urban Affairs, MoHUA as its members to examine the setting up of liquor vends in non- conforming areas”.
The former LG said that the committee was of the view in its report dated December 10, 2021, that as regards 67 non-conforming wards, the Excise Department can consider allowing the Licensee of such wards to open additional vends in the conforming areas of such adjoining wards where conforming areas exist or any other ward allotted to the Licensee. Accordingly, no permission was granted for opening liquor vends in non-conforming areas”.
Baijal said that It appears that the AAP Government of Delhi and its Excise Minister initially claimed record revenue through excise by manipulating figures; but when that got utterly exposed, they are now playing this deplorable game of blaming me, by distorting facts and painting a false narrative.
“During my entire tenure as the LG, I upheld the constitutional values and laws of the land, in letter and spirit, which has always been an issue with the AAP Government of Delhi. The record will speak for itself and I dismiss the claims made by the AAP Government and its Excise Minister in toto. The time and investigations will reveal the truth,” the former LG said.
Sisodia, had on last Saturday accused Baijal, who was then LG, of changing his stand on the excise policy and blocking liquor vends in non-conforming areas of Delhi by putting a condition.He had also said Baijal’s decision “benefitted” some licensees while causing “loss” of thousands of crores of rupees to the Delhi Government.