DJB scam: BJP wonders why Kejriwal did not act against Sheila Dikshit

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s vociferous attack on Union finance minister Arun Jaitley in connection with the alleged financial irregularities in the Delhi District Cricket Committee has set the local political circles thinking on why the AAP supremo had not acted against his predecessor Sheila Dikshit, who had been accused by his own city minister Kapil Mishra in connection with the Delhi Jal Board water tanker distribution scam which had resulted in a loss of Rs 400 crore to the state exchequer.

Senior BJP leader Vijender Gupta said that the way Mr Kejriwal was acting clearly shows that he has reached some “understanding” with the Congress and that was precisely why he was not acting against Ms Dikshit. “First, the AAP formed the government with the support of the Congress. Now, Mr Kejriwal is doing his best not to act against the Congress veteran.”

BJP MP Ramesh Bhiduri said the failure of the AAP government to deliver on its promises had forced its leaders to indulge in divergent tactics. “First, Mr Kejriwal calls the country’s Prime Minister a psychopath. Now, he is making an issue out of a non-issue by accusing the PM for not acting against Mr Jaitley in the DDCA issue. When there is not an iota of evidence against Mr Jaitley, how can anyone act against him.” It was over two months after initiating an inquiry into the water tanker distribution system of the DJB that city minister and DJB chairperson Kapil Mishra had in August asked Mr Kejriwal to lodge an FIR against Ms Dikshit and other erstwhile board members in connection with the alleged scam.

On June 19, a five-member committee was constituted to probe the hiring of 385 stainless steel tankers in 2012. The committee had been formed after the DJB received complaints about irregularities in the process of awarding tenders. Ms Dikshit was the chairperson of the DJB when these tankers were procured. In its report, the committee stated that the irregularities had resulted in a loss of '400 crore.

“The report is-self explanatory and exposes how the then DJB chairperson and (then) chief minister Sheila Dikshit and other board members have consistently bypassed laws and rules to cause a loss of almost '400 crore to the Delhi Jal Board. I am forwarding this report to you with the request that a FIR should immediately be lodged by the Delhi government based on this report against all those involved in this scam,” read Mr Mishra’s letter to Mr Kejriwal. Not only this, Mr Mishra also claimed that there may be attempts to topple the AAP government after the “big expose”.

“I am afraid that immediately after this expose, there will be attempts to destabilise our government in Delhi and also to remove me from this chair,” Mr Mishra’s letter stated. Instead of acting against Ms Dikshit, the CM had stripped Mr Mishra off his law portfolio and given the charge of the ministry to his trusted lieutenant and deputy CM Manish Sisodia. Mr Mishra took over from Jitender Singh Tomar, who was arrested for possessing a fake law degree.