Delhi: BJP MLA Ravindra Singh Negi slams AAP over liquor policy scam
Feb 27, 2025
New Delhi [India], February 27 : BJP MLA Ravindra Singh Negi on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the alleged irregularities in the liquor policy, citing the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report.
Addressing the issue in the Delhi Assembly, he said that the report's findings on the alleged Rs 2,000 crore scam would be thoroughly discussed.
"The CAG report presented on the liquor policy scam will be discussed in detail in the House today... The scam of around 2000 crores in the liquor policy will be discussed today," Negi said.
Responding to the suspension of opposition MLAs, Negi criticized AAP for its stance, accusing them of disregarding constitutional principles.
"Your (opposition) are roaming around with the picture of Baba Saheb Ambedkar, but you should follow the Constitution as told by him... They (AAP) feel that they are still in power, but they should remember that they are out of power now, " he said.
Meanwhile, the Congress demanded that the scope of investigation into the Delhi liquor scam be expanded following revelations in the CAG report, which was tabled in the Vidhan Sabha.
Addressing a press conference at the AICC office here, Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav and senior leader Sandeep Dikshit said that the CAG report should be investigated by the Public Accounts Committee. So, PAC should be formed as soon as possible, and those involved in the loot should be punished. They added that the details of the CAG report must be brought into public discourse also.
Welcoming the tabling of the report on the Delhi Excise Scam, Yadav and Dikshit asserted that Congress stood vindicated, as it was the party that had lodged a formal complaint against the liquor policy.
They also called for an investigation into the involvement of certain BJP leaders, whose names, they claimed, were brought to the notice of the Delhi Police Commissioner at the time of the policy's implementation. Suggesting that both AAP and BJP acted in collusion in pushing the excise policy--which was later withdrawn--the Congress leaders pointed out that the policy was approved by the then Lieutenant Governor.
They also referred to the permission granted for opening liquor vends in non-conforming wards, stating that municipal corporations were responsible for such approvals. Since the BJP was in power in the municipal corporations at the time, they argued, its role in granting permissions must also be scrutinised. They said it raises important questions, which need to be answered.
