NEW DELHI | Dec 17: Powering its attack on finance minister Arun Jaitley, the Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday accused FM Arun Jaitley of “misappropriating funds” from the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove him from the position of Finance Minister.
AAP while addressing a press conference told reporters that acting on the communication dated 27 July 2015 from Sports Ministry, Government of India, the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi initiated a probe in irregularities in the affairs of the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA). A three member committee was formed for the purpose headed by Mr. Chetan Sanghi (IAS 1989 batch). On 17, November, 2015 Sanghi Committee gave a report to the Chief Minister of Delhi highlighting glaring irregularities in the affairs of DDCA and recommendation setting up of a Commission of Enquiry to thoroughly probe the matter. Twenty two days after the Committee headed by Mr. Sanghi indicted the office bearers of the DDCA, which includes Union Finance Minister Mr. Arun Jaitley, On December 9, 2015 the Anti Corruption Branch controlled by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi and his government registered a case of corruption against Mr. Sanghi in connection with some of his decisions dating several years back during the previous Sheila Dikshit Government in Delhi. The Aam Aadmi Party did not question the timing of the action, despite it being suspect, because it did not want to impede the probe or shield any officer. When the Sanghi Committee report reached the CM’s office and it began the process of setting up a Commission of Enquiry to probe the irregularities in the affairs of the DDCA, the CBI, again controlled by Mr. Narendra Modi and his government, promptly registered a case of corruption against Mr. Rajendra Kumar (IAS 1989 batch), Principal Secretary to the CM and conducted raids in connection with some of the decision he took during Sheila Dixit’s regime.
They further added that the Aam Aadmi Party still did not question the timing of the action because it did not want to impede the probe of shield any officer. It only exposed the fact that raid, in fact, was carried out at the Chief Minister’s office where the probe report pertaining to the DDCA was lying. In a surprise move, the CBI did not even go the departments where the files related the alleged dealings and contracts were kept. The Search and Seizure Memo issued by the CBI after the raids exposed the agency and Modi Government as the files taken in possession by the Agency included cabinet decisions of the Delhi Government and file movement register of Arvind Kejriwal’s office. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who happens to be a prime suspect in the DDCA scam, lied through his teath on the floor of the Rajya Sabha and it was exposed by the Aam Aadmi Party. Today we are exposing glaring irregularities and acts of corruption in the DDCA with Mr. Jaitley at the the helm of its affairs.
Congress reply was these all are old allegations and there is nothing new it and AAP has be fooled people like before.
BJP’s reaction to this came from Minister of state for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi who said. “Levelling allegations against others to hide their own wrongdoing is an old habit of the AAP party, and nowadays, it has become a habit of the Congress too. Those who are demanding a JPC on a false allegation, I want to inform them that the JPC won’t be formed. There is no question of Arun Jaitley’s resignation, he won’t resign,”
It is pertinent to mention here that when asked repeatedly about the corruption charges on Rajendra Kumar, they kept on ignoring the question and gave a clean chit to him by saying that he has a honest career of 27 years.
The different charges by AAP on Arun Jaitley:
- Criminal Breach of Trust and Cheating by the DDCA and its office-bearers in making payments regarding the reconstruction of Feroze shah Kotla Stadium, Delhi. The initial budget was Rs. 24 crore but it eventually ended up costing Rs. 114crores as per the reply furnished dated December 1, 2012 by DDCA to the Serious Frauds Investigation Office.
- Illegal sub-leasing of the corporate boxes: DDCA has illegally constructed 10 Corporate Boxes in the stadium and have sub – leased these boxes for 10 years to corporatesfora collective approximate amount ofRs 36 crore. The fact that the Corporate Boxes are illegal is apparent from the fact that there are no building approvals or completion certificate. Further, these illegally constructed corporate boxes have been leased withoutthe approval of the land owners,i.e. Government of India which is a clear violation of the license conditions and also amounts to an infringement of Section 406 of the Indian Penal Code being criminal breach of trust on account of misuse for unjust enrichment of public land provided to the DDCA at a heavy subsidy. It is also grounds for immediate cancellation of license.
- Forgery of age-verification certificates and abetment by DDCA officials FIR No. 538/2014 PS I.P. Estate has been registered on the basis of a complaint filed by Shri Kirti Azad. The said FIR under Sections 120,468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code reflects the fact that forged age-verification certificates are being prepared and accepted in a systematic manner by the DDCA in collusion with one School name Vidya Jain Public School, Rohini to allow over-age players to play in younger age groups.Investigation in the FIR is pending. The FIR names specific players who have benefited from forged date of birth and school certificates. Investigation is yet to be completed in the instant case.
- Deliberate corruption of the electoral system in the DDCA On record findings of two retired judges of the Delhi Higher Judicial Services show that the election process has been the subject of much blatant corruption.
- Prima facie illegal payments made and loans and advances made by DDCA
- Evasion of Entertainment Tax As per Assessment Order No. F.18 (5)/ETO/14-15/2815/3371 dated 21 October, 2015, it has been held that although the DDCA was exempted from paying entertainment tax until the year 2008. However, since the DDCA did not declare the amount of Rs. 34.96 crore received for corporate boxes, tax exemption for such payments, although received in 2003-05, has not been extended to the DDCA. The Entertainment Tax Officers has also concluded that an amount of Rs. 5,24,40,000/- (Rupees Five Crore Twenty Four Lakh Forty Thousand Only) was payable as tax on the amount suppressed by the DDCA. Interest on the amount due comes up to Rs. 13,97,16,000/- (Rupees Thirteen Crore Ninety Seven Lakh Sixteen Thousand Only)and a penalty of Rs. 5,24,40,000/- (Rupees Five Crore Twenty Four Lakh Forty Thousand Only) for tax evasion has also been imposed. In total, the Entertainment Tax due is Rs. 24,45,96,000/- (Rupees Twnety Four Crore Forty Five Lakh Ninety Six Thousand Only).
- Compounding of offences by the Company Law Board in a questionable manner.
- The Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has pointed out serious, and potentially fatal, fire hazards and other breaches of safety protocols.
It is pertinent to mention here that when asked repeatedly about the corruption charges on Rajendra Kumar, they kept on ignoring the question and gave a clean chit to him by saying that he has a honest career of 27 years.
