Kejriwal Says 'Liquor Scam Is False', Calls It BJP's 'Desperate' Attempt To Malign AAP

Arvind Kejriwal's remarks came after a Delhi court granted bail to two accused in a money laundering case registered by the ED in relation to the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy.

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said that the excise policy scam is 'fake' and that it is a 'desperate' attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to 'malign' his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). His remarks came after a Delhi court on Saturday granted bail to two accused in a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in relation to alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. The court said the evidence against the accused -- Rajesh Joshi and Gautam Malhotra -- was not sufficient for the case against them to be considered prima facie 'genuine'.

In a tweet, Arvind Kejriwal said, "The whole liquor scam is false. We were saying it from beginning. Now even courts have started saying it. It's a desperate measure by BJP to malign an honest party like AAP."

Earlier on Saturday, senior AAP leader and Delhi Cabinet Minister Atishi said that the court granted bail to the two key accused in the Delhi excise case and reprimanded the ED for making allegations without any corroborative evidence. She said both -- Rajesh Joshi and Gautam Malhotra -- were central figures in the ED's and the CBI's allegations of kickbacks worth Rs 100 crore being spent by AAP in the Goa elections, but they were granted bail on account of no evidence.

Atishi called upon the BJP to come forward and apologise for defaming the Kejriwal-led party and misleading the nation. Over the last year, she said, senior BJP leaders and spokespersons conducted multiple press conferences to claim that an alleged excise policy scam had taken place in Delhi.

The allegations levelled by the BJP on news channels for several months later found their way into the chargesheets filed by the CBI and the ED, she claimed.

Atishi said the ED has levelled two allegations that Rs 100 crore kickbacks were received from liquor businesses and the money was used in the Goa elections.

"The court order said no evidence had been kept forth by the ED showing any cash payment for bribe or kickbacks. The order said the ED attached some vague statements by witnesses," she said.

Providing further details, the Delhi minister said that the chargesheets filed by the agencies claimed Gautam Malhotra was one of the liquor traders who allegedly paid kickbacks worth Rs 100 crore to AAP.

Reading out an excerpt from the court order, she said, "There is no specific evidence showing any such cash payment towards the payment of bribe or repayment of kickbacks."

Atishi added that the ED chargesheet filed in the court has claimed kickbacks worth Rs 30 crore only. "So from claiming a scam worth Rs 100 crore first, the ED on its own later changed the figure to Rs 30 crore. The ED has claimed that it was through Rajesh Joshi that this Rs 30 crore worth of kickbacks first came to Delhi, and then through him, this money travelled from Delhi to Goa," she added.

The Delhi Minister also said that the saffron party should come out and apologise to the nation and say it clearly that they had been 'stating lies' all along to defame the AAP, Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia.

The BJP, however, accused senior AAP leaders of presenting a 'twisted and misleading' reference to the bail order and demanded that a contempt of court proceeding be initiated against them. Its Delhi unit president Virendra Sachdeva accused the ruling AAP of trying to divert public attention from the scams of its government by making irrational statements.