AAP defaming our party over alleged pension scam: BJP leader

The Bharatiya Janata Party state unit on Wednesday accused the Aam Aadmi Party of "defaming" it by levelling what it said were false charges in an alleged pension scam in the three municipal corporations.

BJP Delhi unit chief Satish Upadhyay told reporters: "In the case of MCD pensions affair, the Arvind Kejriwal government hatched a conspiracy to defame the BJP at the time of by-elections to the local bodies in May."

"Now, after a court stay on Chief Information Commissioner orders in this matter, we demand that the government should apologise to all municipal councillors," he said.

Attacking the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Upadhyay said: "Levelling absurd charges against its political opponents, showing papers to the media while making allegations and after being challenged or reprimanded by court, avoiding the people and the media has become a regular political game of Kejriwal's party."

The BJP leader's remarks came a day after the Delhi High Court stayed the CIC's direction to BJP MLA Vijender Gupta's wife Shobha Vijender to explain how she had authorised disbursal of pension to a woman who was not eligible.

The AAP in May alleged a pension scam to the tune of Rs 244 crore in three BJP-led Municipal Corporations of Delhi.

The allegation was made after a CIC order revealed the three civic bodies have no records of the money spent on pension schemes.

Gupta, Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly, said: "The court on Tuesday reprimanded the Delhi government and said why it did not challenge the unconstitutional, illegal and prima facie wrong order of the CIC in the matter."

He alleged that the AAP tried to gain political mileage just before the by-elections to the 13 seats of the municipal corporations on May 15.

"The Delhi government held a press conference on May 14, and alleged that Shobha Vijender, a municipal councillor, was involved in a pension scam involving crores of rupees and by doing so the AAP and its government acted illegally to influence polling," the BJP leader alleged.

Gupta said that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal told the Vidhan Sabha that the BJP was involved in the pension scam.

"The court has dismissed this allegation of Kejriwal; this proves that the AAP and the Delhi government hatches conspiracies by making baseless allegation against the BJP," Gupta added.

--IANS

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