Contrary to the allegations levelled by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, a Delhi Government enquiry report on the affairs of Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) has not even mentioned the name of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
Without any mention of Jaitley anywhere in the 237-page report, the three-member committee headed by Principal Secretary in Vigilance Department Chetan Sanghi has said that considering the “large number of allegations against DDCA”, the cricket body should be immediately suspended by the BCCI.
Meanwhile, the BJP on Sunday demanded “public apology” from Kejriwal for allegations against Jaitley on the DDCA issue, saying that the truth is out as the report of the city Government has found no evidence against the Finance Minister.
The committee also made a host of observations about the alleged irregularities in DDCA, which include construction of corporate boxes without prior approval of the authorities and complaints of forgery in age-verification certificates.
The panel slammed BCCI for its “inaction” in the affairs of the DDCA and had recommended that the Delhi Government should approach the Supreme Court with a request to have Justice lodha Committee’s advice regarding streamlining of the functioning of the cricket administrator.
The SC-appointed Justice RM lodha Committee, which probed the IPl betting scandal, is currently working on its recommendations to reform the way the BCCI functions.
Jaitley, who headed the DDCA between 1999 and 2013, has been under Opposition attack even though he has maintained his innocence.
A probe by Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) during the UPA’s tenure also had found nothing against Jaitley. Kejriwal had alleged that the CBI had raided his office to check the DDCA probe files.
BJP spokesperson MJ Akbar said, “The truth is out. The report does not name Jaitley. There is no allegation against him, there is no indication (of wrongdoing). The Delhi Chief Minister, we believe, should apologise to Jaitley for his allegations...He should publicly apologise.”
He added that he should also admit his fault in the court where Jaitley has filed a civil defamation suit against the CM and other AAP leaders.
He said Kejriwal had attacked Jaitley alleging that the CBI raid was carried out for the DDCA file. “Now the CM himself is trapped...His own team has found no allegation against Jaitley,” Akbar said.
The BJP spokesperson said after the November 15 report became public, the AAP is trying to wriggle out of the situation, saying the investigation was not meant to name any person. “But there are names in the report...You don’t run Government with tamasha (drama),” he said.
The Opposition had stalled Parliament in the Winter Session over corruption charges against Jaitley during his tenure as DDCA chief, and Kejriwal launched a scathing attack on the central government over the controversy.
“Jaitley committed no mistake. But I think Kejriwal committed every mistake,” Akbar said.
BJP national secretary Srikant Sharma, who was also present at the Press conference, used the opportunity to attack the Congress, saying the party cannot “scare” the BJP and the Narendra Modi Government by levelling such allegations.
“Congress is out on bail in the Rs 5,000 crore case. They cannot scare us as our resolve against corruption is strong,” Sharma said referring to the National Herald case.
He said both Congress and AAP are “cousins” and were targeting the BJP together. “I ask them to prove even one allegation of corruption,” he said.
He claimed that even if Kejriwal apologises to Jaitley over the DDCA issue, the defamation suit would continue.
“You levelled charges to defend your Principal Secretary facing CBI probe. You raised slogans against corruption and now you are defending the corrupt,” he said.
He also claimed that AAP was diverting attention from the key issues of governance on which the city Government has failed.