Cong demands scope of probe into 'liquor scam' be widened to include complaint against BJP leaders
New Delhi: The Delhi unit of Congress on Wednesday called for the formation of the Public Accounts Committee soon so that the CAG report on the previous AAP government's excise policy can be investigated, and demanded that the scope of the probe be widened to include the alleged involvement of BJP leaders in the matter.
The opposition party also demanded that the remaining 13 Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports on the AAP government's performance be tabled as well and discussed in the public domain.
The CAG report on the 2021-22 liquor policy was tabled by the new Chief Minister Rekha Gupta of the BJP on the very second day of the first session of the newly elected Delhi Assembly on Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference at the Congress' 24, Akbar Road headquarters, Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav said the party had given a written complaint to investigating agencies on the liquor policy and had included "evidence" of BJP's "involvement" in the matter.
He also asked why all 14 CAG reports were not presented in the House on Tuesday. The Delhi Assembly session has been extended till March 3.
"We want the CAG report to be investigated by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). In such a situation, PAC should be formed as soon as possible, so that this report can be investigated and those who were involved in the loot should be punished," Yadav said.
Although the PAC is chaired by an opposition leader, in Delhi, the government has been leading it, therefore these reports should also be brought for public discussion, Yadav said.
Yadav said there are some important questions related to the role of some big BJP leaders and the then Lieutenant Governor, which were ignored in the CAG report, he alleged.
"Why and who took the decision to change three excise directors within one year? New brands of liquor were promoted in Delhi. This should be investigated. The then governor had given permission to implement the liquor policy of the Kejriwal government. Why has no investigation been done on this till date?" Yadav said.
There is a need to investigate how licenses were given to open liquor shops in violation of the master plan, he further said.
Yadav further claimed that without the permission of the municipal corporation, liquor shops cannot be opened, and added that the BJP was ruling the MCD at the time.
But the BJP allowed the Delhi government to open liquor shops even in non-conforming areas, he alleged. "The CAG report can be described in three words -- loot, jhooth (lies) and phoot (division)," Yadav said.
"The CAG report has revealed that the money of the people of Delhi was looted. The AAP government kept saying that we are increasing the government's revenue, but the truth is Rs 2002 crore was looted," Yadav claimed.
Advice of an expert committee was also ignored, he added.
The Delhi Congress chief claimed it is the result of the divisions between the AAP and the BJP that the CAG report is not being discussed in the assembly.
Putting forward the Congress' demands, Yadav said the scope of investigation into "the liquor scam" should be widened and there should be an investigation on the written complaint given by the Congress against the BJP. "There should be a public forum discussion on the lies being told on the liquor scam."
Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit, also addressing the press conference, said the CAG report revealed that the objective of the liquor policy was changed repeatedly.
"Earlier, it included 77 entities but it was reduced to 14. These 14 organisations are interconnected. Some come from parts of the country where politicians and their family members maintain relations with the AAP government," he said.
Details of this liquor policy were discussed 8-9 months before the policy was made, Dikshit pointed out.
"Many officials were saying that the matter got discussed because the policy was made due to the relations between the government and liquor contractors and their own interests. There should be a separate investigation in this matter," Dikshit said.
According to a CAG report tabled in the assembly on Tuesday by new Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the Delhi government suffered cumulative losses of over Rs 2,000 crore due to the 2021-2022 excise policy for reasons ranging from weak policy framework to deficient implementation.
The report, one of 14 on the previous Aam Aadmi Party government's performance, was tabled by Gupta The 208-page report includes annexures flagging violations in the process of issuing licences, and recommendations of an expert panel formed to suggest changes that were ignored by then deputy chief minister and excise minister Manish Sisodia.
Sisodia, AAP chief and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and another senior party leader Sanjay Singh were arrested in the cases registered in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam, a hot button issue in the run-up to the recent Delhi Assembly elections which saw the BJP returning to power after more than 27 years.
The three leaders are currently out on bail.
Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta said the document will be referred to the Public Accounts Committee(PAC) of the House, which is yet to be formed.
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BCI urges CJI to take action against Andhra HC judge for sending young lawyer to 24-hour custody
New Delhi (PTI): The Bar Council of India on Wednesday sought the urgent intervention of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant following a "deeply disturbing" incident where a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court reportedly sent a young advocate to
24-hour judicial custody over a procedural lapse.
The Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairperson and senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, in a formal representation, termed the conduct of Justice Tarlada Rajasekhar Rao "grossly inappropriate" and "damaging to the confidence of the Bar".
“I most respectfully request your Lordship to kindly take immediate institutional cognizance of the matter and call for the video recording of the proceedings, the order passed, and the surrounding circumstances.
“I further request that appropriate administrative action may kindly be considered, including withdrawal of judicial work from the learned Judge pending review, his immediate transfer to some far off High Court, and his nomination for appropriate judicial training/orientation on court management, judicial temperament, Bar-Bench relations, and proportional exercise of contempt/judicial authority,” Mishra wrote.
This representation is made to preserve the “dignity, moral authority and public confidence of the judiciary”, he said, adding, “Judges command the highest respect not by fear, but by fairness, patience, restraint and constitutional humility”.
The communication urged the CJI to intervene at the earliest to ensure that the faith of Bar, particularly young advocates, in the protective and corrective role of the judiciary is restored.
The controversy stems from proceedings on May 5.
According to the BCI, a video circulating online shows Justice Rao rebuking a young advocate who was unable to produce a specific order copy during a hearing.
The letter said that despite the advocate "repeatedly seeking pardon and mercy" and claiming he was in physical pain, the judge remained "unmoved".
The judge allegedly told the lawyer, "now you will learn," and mocked his experience before directing the Registrar and police personnel to take him into custody for 24 hours.
The BCI chairperson said that the judge’s actions lacked proportionality and fairness.
"The dignity of the court is not enhanced when a lawyer is made to beg for grace in open court and is still sent to custody for a procedural lapse," the letter said.
"A young lawyer... is an officer of the Court, still learning, still growing, and entitled to correction without humiliation," it added.
The bar body said that such actions create a "chilling effect" on the legal fraternity, particularly among junior members, and undermine the mutual respect required between the Bench and the Bar.
