The BJP stepped up its attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday, asking him why is he "shielding" his cabinet colleague Satyendar Jain, who has been arrested on graft charges, and whether the minister has any files on him.
Referring to a court observation made on Friday that there was sufficient evidence about Jain's involvement in a money-laundering case as also the remarks made by the Delhi High Court on July 27 that the minister has criminal antecedents, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "Kejriwal must consider whether he should allow Jain to continue as a minister."
Wondering whether the chief minister is "not in a position to seek Jain's resignation", he said, "Perhaps Kejriwal is shielding the minister as the latter has some files on him." Talking to reporters here, Poonawalla also took potshots at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's decision to withdraw the new excise policy for Delhi for the time being and direct the sale of liquor only through government-run ends amid an ongoing investigation into the policy.
The withdrawal of the policy vindicates the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) stand that it was a "liquor scam, not a liquor policy," he said. The real purpose of the new policy was to facilitate corruption and it was brought to give undue benefits to the liquor mafia by violating laws and causing irregularities and illegalities, Poonawalla alleged.
Going back to the old policy shows that Kejriwal is afraid of a CBI probe in the matter, which will expose him, the BJP leader said.
