SAD demands judicial probe into AAP NRI fund collection scam

(N K Sharma asks Arvind Kejriwal why he was silent on the issue and why he had not conducted an internal probe into the scam running into hundreds of crores)

Chandigarh, April 6 – The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today demanded a judicial probe into the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) NRI fund collection scam, saying that despite the fact that top AAP functionaries were accused of embezzling hundreds of crores of rupees collected from NRIs its party Convener Arvind Kejriwal was silent on the issue and had not even conducted an internal inquiry into the scam.

Asking Arvind Kejriwal to explain whether the scam reached his doors, SAD Treasurer N K Sharma said “your silence on this issue is mystifying. Either you are part of the scam or you have been compromised by the perpetrators. Now the truth can only be uncovered by a judicial inquiry. If you do not give your assent to a judicial probe it will be clear that you also party to looting the NRIs in the name of working for their welfare”.

Expressing shock at the manner in which the Delhi chief minister was fielding his minions including Dinesh Chadha to level false allegations at the SAD, Mr Sharma said “we reject each and every scurrilous claim made by these fly by night operators. They will like their boss soon apologize for trying to defame the SAD”.

Asserting that each and every penny deposited in the SAD accounts was accounted for, the SAD Treasurer said “the AAP party functionaries are used to collecting money illegally in Punjab as was seen in the run up to the last assembly elections when several prospective candidates held press conferences to disclose how they had been duped of lakhs of rupees. Even former AAP Punjab Convener Succha Singh Chhotepur had leveled allegations of corruption by the AAP central team which was incharge of Punjab affairs. It is on record that Arvind Kejriwal did not deem it fit to even order an in house inquiry into the corruption charges. Now NRIs are coming out to tell how they were duped of crores of rupees and that money sent by them for political activities of AAP was misappropriated by the top functionaries”.

Stating that corrupt deals were nothing new for AAP, Sharma said “we already have the example of former AAP minister Kapil Mishra who had asserted that he witnessed another AAP minister give a bribe of Rs two crore to Kejriwal in relation to a land deal. He said most recently the Kejriwal government was accused of misappropriating Rs 26,000 crore out of the Rs 41,000 crore loan given to Delhi Jal Board (DBJ). He said Dinesh Chadha should explain this scam as well as others instead of spreading lies as they were wont to do on the eve of every election.

Asking Raghav Chadha to first go to Delhi and fulfill the promises made to its youth by the party, Sharma said the AAP had promised to provide eight lakh jobs in Delhi but a recent RTI submitted to the Delhi Employment Exchange had revealed that it provided only 214 jobs in the last three years. “First set your own house in order before trying to befool Punjabis once again”, Mr Sharma advised AAP while stating that Punjabis would never come under the party’s influence again.