New Delhi: Delhi L-G VK Saxena will take legal action against AAP MLAs Atishi, Saurabh Bhardwaj and Durgesh Pathak and DDC vice-chairman Jasmine Shah among others for their "false and defamatory" graft charges against him, officials said Wednesday.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led party are up in arms against the L-G after AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak alleged in the Delhi Assembly on Monday that Saxena, as chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), had pressured his employees to exchange demonetised notes worth Rs 1,400 crore in 2016.
Officials at the L-G Secretariat said the matter was probed by the CBI and the agency has already filed a charge-sheet against two accused KVIC employees. The matter is pending in the Rouse Avenue Court, New Delhi, they said.
"It is reiterated that the matter being falsely touted by the AAP is with regards to just Rs 17.07 lakh as against the claims of Rs 1,400 crore which is nothing but a figment of imagination of the accusers who will face the consequences," the officials said.
"It is amply clear that corrupt AAP is using corrupt people to divert attention from their widespread misdeeds that include massive corruption in education, liquor, and PWD amounting to thousands of crores," sources at the L-G House said. They added that the AAP has made the allegations on the basis of statements from people who have been found to be embroiled in corruption at the KVIC by the CBI themselves.
The LG House added: "This has been the hallmark of Kejriwal and co. to shoot and scoot and then when pushed for the truth, apologize." The L-G has taken a serious view of these allegations and therefore, decided to take legal action.
"The Lt Governor has decided to take legal action against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Saurabh Bhardwaj, Atishi, Durgesh Pathak and Jasmine Shah among others for highly defamatory and false allegations of corruption by them, attributed to his tenure as chairman of KVIC," said a note from L-G office.
AAP MLAs had forced adjournment of the special session sitting of the Assembly on Monday demanding the L-G's resignation. Later, the allegation was repeated inside and outside the Assembly by several AAP leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
The note from the L-G's office provided details of the matter trying to clear the allegations by the AAP leaders.
"The CBI has already inquired into the case at the behest of KVIC itself and filed the charge sheet as well. The people, based on whose statements these allegations are being manufactured against the LG, are the two people who have prima facie been found to be engaged in corruption at KVIC after demonetization by CBI," said the note.