Delhi BJP accuses AAP govt of withholding CAG reports, calls for special session

New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS) Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva on Tuesday criticised the previous Kejriwal government for allegedly suppressing 14 significant Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports since 2017-18.

He demanded the Delhi Assembly Speaker to convene a special session.

Sachdeva highlighted the irony that AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal, who once launched his political career by demanding transparency and accountability, was now "evading public disclosure of critical CAG findings, particularly concerning financial mismanagement."

He underscored that during 2011-12, Arvind Kejriwal rose to prominence by exposing CAG reports on expenditures during the Commonwealth Games and questioning the Congress government's alleged financial irregularities.

He pointed out that Kejriwal even ordered a probe against former CM Sheila Dikshit on February 6, 2014, based on a CAG report during his brief first tenure as Delhi's Chief Minister.

Sachdeva accused the previous Kejriwal government of deliberately withholding CAG reports related to excise duty on liquor, pollution control, and other financial issues over the last several years.

"Between 2017 and 2022, 14 critical CAG reports were prepared, yet they were never tabled in the Delhi Assembly. The AAP government has suppressed these findings to avoid scrutiny over its financial irregularities," he asserted.

Under constitutional procedures, the CAG submits its audit reports to the state government, which must seek approval from the Lieutenant Governor under Section 48 of administrative protocols before presenting them in the Assembly.

Sachdeva alleged, "Kejriwal avoided presenting these reports to prevent exposure of large-scale financial scams during his tenure as Chief Minister."

"Arvind Kejriwal knows that the public disclosure of these CAG reports would open the floodgates of allegations and legal cases against his government," said Sachdeva.

He added that Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia played significant roles in "enabling this suppression".

BJP legislators, led by Vijender Gupta, filed a petition in the Delhi High Court on October 29, demanding that the reports be tabled in the Assembly. In response to the petition, the Delhi government attempted to delay proceedings by claiming the reports were with the Lieutenant Governor and that further action lay with him.

However, Sachdeva noted that the CAG clarified the situation by submitting an affidavit in court. The affidavit revealed that the signed reports had already been sent to the Delhi government, while only unsigned copies were provided to the Lieutenant Governor for informational purposes.

Following this revelation, BJP legislators intensified their efforts, seeking expedited court hearings during the ongoing Assembly session. Despite mounting pressure, the AAP government allegedly stalled proceedings, allowing the Assembly's final session to conclude on December 4 without tabling the reports.

In a decisive turn of events on December 16, the Delhi High Court ordered the AAP government and the Lieutenant Governor to inform the Assembly Speaker within two to three days about the presentation of all 14 CAG reports.

Sachdeva praised the court's swift intervention, stating, "The truth has now come out, and these reports will finally reach the public domain. We expect these findings to uncover multiple instances of financial mismanagement."

Sachdeva further demanded that the Delhi Assembly Speaker convene a special session on December 21 to ensure the immediate tabling of all 14 CAG reports. "The session should have no other agenda except the presentation of these reports. Delhi residents have the right to know how public funds have been managed," he asserted.

The BJP leader emphasised that the exposure of these reports would compel the Atishi government to recommend investigations into alleged financial irregularities under Kejriwal's leadership. He reiterated that AAP ministers, both past and present, must be held accountable for failing to maintain transparency and adhering to constitutional processes.