AAP slams Centre for curtailing ACB's powers

The AAP Monday accused the Narendra Modi government of helping certain industrial houses by curtailing the jurisdiction of the Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Delhi government.

During the 49-day rule of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi, the ACB had registered first information report against the then union ministers in the United Progressive Alliance government for the alleged irregularities in the natural gas pricing scam.

"Aam Aadmi Party demands the BJP-led central government should immediately withdraw the union home ministry's completely unjustified notification which severely curtails the jurisdiction of the Anti Corruption Branch of the Delhi government."

"This step of the BJP government makes a complete mockery of the anti-corruption mechanism in Delhi. It means that provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act cannot be applied by the ACB even if it receives a complaint of corruption, on anyone except those mentioned in the above notification," the party said.

"Has the BJP forgotten its long repeated promise of providing full statehood to Delhi? Why is it interfering with the 21 year-old notification which has stood the scrutiny of law and test of time," a party statement asked.

"It is beyond any reasonable understanding as to why the Modi government is attempting to save the ministers of the former UPA government who were involved in the Rs.54,000 crore natural gas pricing scam," it added.