New Delhi: BJP MP Kirti Azad on Sunday held a press conference to ‘expose the biggest DDCA corruption’, despite his party’s warning against going public with his allegations. The MP in the conference played a video clip, which claimed there were massive irregularities and rampant corruption in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) during Arun Jaitley’s tenure as its head.
“There is no personal animosity against anyone. My campaign is against corruption,” said Azad during the press conference.
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Azad alleged that the Delhi cricket body handed out contracts to fake companies and the video played in the conference showed addresses that were apparently mentioned in the DDCA files but did not exist in reality.
The clip also alleged that the DDCA rented equipment and device like laptops, printers for exorbitant prices. Laptops were hired at the rate of Rs 16000 per day the video claimed.
Demanding an ED and DRI probe into the affairs of DDCA, he refused to join issues with Jaitley, who had called him a "trojan horse" in the BJP, saying "one should refrain from
making it a battle between Trojan horse and Achille's heels".
Flanked by former India captain Bishen Singh Bedi and former cricketer Surinder Khanna at the media interaction that lasted less than two hours, the third time MP from Darbhanga
repeatedly said there was no personal fight in his principled campaign but played footage of a DDCA AGM of 2011-12 CD which purportedly showed Azad questioning Jaitley who was in the chair.
The footage also purportedly showed Jaitley defending the
the DDCA office bearers who were being questioned by Azad on alleged financial bunglings.“This is not a fight against any individual, we are only fighting against corruption,” Azad said during his conference.
Asked how much was Jaitley responsible for the corruption
in DDCA, Azad said," You are trying to make me fight with someone which I will not. I have been fighting this (battleagainst corruption) for the last nine years. The new party (AAP) which has come is now making it a political issue. This was my issue.
"You are trying to make it a fight between two individuals. Something which is a principled stand, you are making it personal and political. We should look at the crux
of the problem rather than create a wedge between people or
make it look political," he told the media, apparently referring to the hype surrounding the issue.
The video that was shown at the press conference claimed around 14 companies to whom payments had been made when Jaitley was at the helm of DDCA were non-existent. When those who conducted the 'sting' operation visited the addresses of the companies mentioned in the records they could not locate them.
"The business governance norm is to float tenders. But
these fraud companies are given work worth crores of rupees but the nature of work is not mentioned.
"Corruption has happened and the SFIO said there were financial irregularities. DDCA is LIC (legal institute of corruption). DDCA accounts are forged. These are fraud
companies which didn't exist but were given contracts worth crores," Azad said.
He said although CBI has given notice to DDCA with regard
to alleged corruption, the "criminal aspect" has still to be looked into.
"I would like the Enforcement Directorate and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence to investigate. POCA (Prevention of Corruption Act) can also be invoked in DDCA affairs.
"We need to find the trail of the money, where the money has gone," the BJP MP said.
