The Delhi Congress on Saturday demanded recovery of nearly Rs854 crore from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi for publishing advertisements on self-promotion, a day after a Central Government-appointed committee said the Kejriwal Government splurged exchequer’s money on the advertisements. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his administration should also be probed by CBI or any other agency for “criminality” in the matter, Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken told reporters.
Maken insisted that lt-Governor Najeeb Jung should ensure recovery of the advertisement cost at commercial rate which are issued at thrice the cost of the DAVP (Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity) rate as they were issued for promotion of the ruling AAP and its leaders. He said the AAP spent Rs284.67 crore during its regime on advertisements which were published outside Delhi.
“Had the AAP issued these advertisements on non DAVP rates, three times more, the cost of the same would have been more than Rs850 crore. As per the order of the committee, AAP is liable to reimburse the Delhi Government a sum of more than Rs854 crore,” he said. “Not only did the AAP Government spend money outside Delhi, they also lied about development works in the capital that were advertised in other States,” Maken alleged.