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The political battle in Delhi intensified as BJP national president J.P. Nadda accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of causing a ₹2,026 crore loss to the exchequer through alleged corruption in the now-scrapped liquor excise policy. Nadda based his accusations on purported details from a yet-to-be-released Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report.
BJP's Allegations
Addressing the media on Saturday, Nadda claimed that the CAG report exposed "intentional lapses" in the AAP government's excise policy implementation. Taking to social media platform X, he wrote, “CAG Report on 'Liquorgate' exposes @ArvindKejriwal and @AamAadmiParty Gov. Intentional 'Lapses' in Policy Implementation. ₹2026 Cr Loss to Exchequer money."
He further criticized AAP’s governance, describing it as “intoxicated by power” and accused the party of looting public funds. Nadda predicted the imminent downfall of the AAP government, saying, "It’s just a matter of weeks before the people of Delhi vote them out for their misdeeds."
The allegations stem from the controversial liquor excise policy, which was implemented and later withdrawn by the AAP government. Former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy, Manish Sisodia, were previously arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with this case. Both leaders were granted bail after months in custody.
Congress Joins the Attack
The Congress party also joined the BJP in criticizing the AAP government. Sandeep Dikshit, a senior Congress leader contesting the upcoming Delhi assembly elections, accused Kejriwal of wrongdoing.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Dikshit said, “The CAG has revealed a scam of ₹2,000 crores in the liquor policy. It is now clear that Kejriwal has done wrong and drained the government treasury. If the scheme had continued, the loss could have escalated to ₹10,000-12,000 crores."
AAP Denies Claims
Responding to the allegations, AAP leaders dismissed the accusations as baseless. Sanjay Singh, AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP, questioned the BJP’s claims, stating, "Where is the report? The BJP itself says no CAG report has been tabled." AAP maintains that there is no concrete evidence to support the claims of corruption.
Political Context
The allegations come at a critical time as Delhi prepares for its upcoming assembly elections, scheduled for February 5. With voting to take place in a single phase, the results will be declared on February 8.
The controversy over the liquor policy has become a major issue in the election campaign, with both the BJP and Congress targeting AAP over alleged corruption. AAP, however, remains firm in denying the claims, stating that it is a politically motivated attack aimed at tarnishing their image ahead of the polls.
As the election date approaches, the liquor policy controversy is expected to dominate political debates in Delhi. The people of the city will ultimately decide whether the allegations will impact AAP’s political standing or if they will see through the claims as election rhetoric.
