BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Thursday wrote to Delhi lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung seeking sanction for prosecution against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia for corruption. Swamy alleged that Kejriwal during his first tenure as CM from December 28, 2013 to February 14, 2014 and his then Finance Minister Manish Sisodia had illegally favoured M/s SKN Associates limited, despite it being a VAT defaulter. Swamy’s move comes days after the Delhi Government recommended sanction of prosecution against BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in connection with a case of writing an allegedly “inflammatory” article in a Mumbai daily in 2011.
There was no immediate reaction from the Delhi Government about the allegations by Swamy. “During his first tenure as Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal and then Finance Minister Manish Sisodia had illegally favoured M/s SKN Associates ltd,” Swamy said in his letter to Jung. “From my investigation, I find that after coming to power for the first time, Kejriwal and Sisodia started milking these defaulters including this SKN Associates limited,” said the latter. He alleged the company’s name figured in a list of Value Added Tax defaulters which was released just ten days before Kejriwal had assumed office on December 28, 2013.
Swamy alleged that Kejriwal and Sisodia, instead of trying to recover the dues from the company for the State exchequer, started seeking donation from the tax defaulter for the AAP. Claiming that four subsidiary companies of SKN Associates had paid a total of `2 crore to the AAP, Swamy alleged the firm was given various contracts, including supply of electrical equipment, air conditioning and lPG and CNG materials. “Interestingly all these non-operative companies with no notable turnovers of profits paid in total `2 crore at the same time (12 am in midnight) to the AAP,” the letter further stated.
This is prima facie a misuse of office and misappropriation of public money and receiving quid pro quo in lieu of favour by Kejriwal and Sisodia for VAT defaulter/evader. This comes under Sec 13(1) (D) of Prevention of Corruption Act, he alleged in the letter while seeking Jung’s sanction to prosecute the two AAP leaders.
The Delhi Government had earlier recommended sanction of prosecution against Swamy in connection with a case of writing an allegedly “inflammatory” article in a Mumbai daily in 2011.Sources had then said the file on the issue was sent to lt-Governor Najeeb Jung for his approval. It was also said that the matter was examined in the home department and it has found that Swamy, by publishing the alleged article, had committed an act of “gross impropriety” and have tried to “break the secular fabric of India culture”.
Sources in the lG Office said that lt Governor’s Office will examine the matter raised by Swamy in his letter seeking sanction of prosecution against Kejriwal and his deputy Sisodia and then, Jung will take a final decision in this regard.
“We have received Swamy’s letter seeking sanction to prosecute the Delhi Chief Minister and the Deputy CM. The lt Governor office will examine the issue and then, the final decision will be taken by the lG,” they said.