AAP alleges Sirsa's role in Delhi rice scam, seeks CBI investigation

The AAP on Tuesday, Sptember 1 demanded that the CBI investigate the alleged role of Delhi Food and Supplies Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa in purported irregularities in the allocation of subsidised rice in the capital, claiming that his name and department figure in the agency's FIR.

AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the CBI FIR showed officials in Sirsa's department had acted after discussing the matter with the minister.

"The CBI has now registered an FIR in what we were alleging for so many days. The FIR says that the NERAMAC clearly said that rice was supposed to be distributed among daily wage workers and the poor who don't have ration cards. Sirsa is the minister for food and supplies, and we want the CBI to investigate his role," Bharadwaj told reporters.

The allegations come a day after the CBI registered an FIR into alleged irregularities by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) in allocating subsidised rice meant for poor labourers to the North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC), from where it was allegedly diverted to traders for profit.

Bharadwaj alleged that NERAMAC had specifically stated in a letter that the rice was meant for daily wage labourers.

"It also shows that the food and supplies department did not just forward a letter to the FCI, but issued a proper no-objection certificate for subsidised rice to be distributed among the poor, which was later given to a Haryana-based businessman against a commission," he alleged.

According to the CBI, senior officials of the FCI and NERAMAC are among those named in the case. The agency has alleged several irregularities, including allocation of subsidised rice in violation of policy, pressure on officials, diversion of rice to traders and preparation of false records purportedly showing that the grain had been distributed to the public.

The alleged irregularities caused losses of more than Rs 28 crore to the FCI, the CBI has claimed.

The agency has also alleged that an additional general manager of NERAMAC, Guwahati, wrote to the "Minister (Food and Supply), Government of NCT Delhi" on January 7 seeking allocation of 31,000 metric tonnes of rice per week under the category "sale of rice without participation in e-auction" under the Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic) for 2025-26.

Bharadwaj also said he, along with other AAP workers, would meet Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu to discuss the matter and other alleged scams.

Sirsa had denied the allegations levelled by the AAP last month and threatened legal action against Bharadwaj. The minister had given AAP leaders 24 hours to withdraw their allegations and issue a public apology, "or face legal proceedings".