Action due to file linked to Arun Jaitley, says Arvind Kejriwal on CBI raids at his office
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s deputy, Manish Sisodia, said the real target of the CBI raid was the chief minister and that Rajendra Kumar was just an excuse.
A combative Mr Kejriwal said the day-long action by the investigative agency was to search for an inquiry committee file on the Delhi District Cricket Association that “traps” Mr Jaitley, a former DDCA office-bearer.
Docs seized from my office.No relation to allegations being probed. Item 7 -file movement register of last one month pic.twitter.com/r2JGLzti1O
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 16, 2015CBI kept reading DDCA file in my office. They wud hv seized it. But after my media briefing, they left it. Not clear if they took a copy
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 16, 2015“It has become necessary to reveal why the CBI came to my office today and which was the file they were looking for. This is the DDCA file, under which Arun Jaitley is getting trapped. (Ye file hai DDCA ka file jiske andar Arun Jaitley phas rahe hain).”
Mr Kejriwal said his government had set up an inquiry committee to probe alleged irregularities in DDCA, which had submitted its report. “Jaitley was DDCA president for many years, and I had set up a committee to probe all the corruption that has taken place during his tenure. The committee has submitted its report and a commission of inquiry is to be set up over it, and a file pertaining to it was in my office.”
Read:
Arvind Kejriwal lashes out at Narendra Modi after CBI ‘raids’ his office
Kejriwal office raid: AAP leaders attack Modi, Centre; terms it darkest day in Indian democracy
Sealing of CM's office unprecedented: Mamata Banerjee on Kejriwal office raids
CBI has not raided Delhi CM’s office, raid to hunt corrupt officer: Jaitley in Parliament
The CBI raid resonated in Parliament, with Opposition MPs saying it was a “serious attack on the federal polity” even as the government insisted the investigation had nothing do with mr Kejriwal but only pertained to an official in his office. The issue was raised by Trinamul members in both Houses to an uproar and ruckus as the Opposition members said that an “undeclared Emergency” had been imposed in the country.
Mr Jaitley responded in both Houses, saying members should not be “misled” as the CBI raid had nothing to do with Mr Kejriwal or his tenure but pertained to an official in the chief minister’s office against whom a complaint had been registered before the AAP had come to power. He said the CBI conducted searches at 14 places over the corruption complaint against the official.
An angry Opposition, however, forced three adjournments in the Rajya Sabha over the issue, alleging an “attack on the federal structure” and an “undeclared Emergency” in the country. The issue was earlier raised by Trinamul leader Derek O’Brien, who alleged this was an “undeclared Emergency” in the country that the office of the Delhi CM was being raided.
Download the all new Deccan Chronicle app for Android and iOS to stay up-to-date with latest headlines and news stories in politics, entertainment, sports, technology, business and much more from India and around the world.
