Didn't sanction Rs.100 crore for ad campaign, AAP government tells HC

The AAP government on Thursday told the Delhi High Court that it had not sanctioned Rs.100 crore for an advertisement campaign on completion of one year in power, as alleged by Congress leader Ajay Maken.

"It is denied that the Delhi government has sanctioned Rs.100 crore for the anniversary and promotional campaign and the petitioner (Maken) has no source to substantiate this contention," read an affidavit filed by the Delhi government before a division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath.

"The Delhi government has not indulged in any political promotional campaign whatsoever," it added.

Maken, who heads the Congress Delhi unit, contended that Arvind Kejriwal's government had been running an advertisement campaign that cost approximately Rs.100 crore. However, no work was done on the ground, he said.

The Congress leader sought the high court intervention to "immediately stop these advertisements and recover the cost of all such advertisements from Arvind Kejriwal".

He also requested the court to direct the Delhi government that the money so recovered from Kejriwal be used for municipal reforms in the capital.

Maken's lawyer Aman Pawar said a large number of advertisements were published or broadcast in various towns and cities across India by the Aam Aadmi Party government by using the taxpayers' money.

"These outstation ads are of no use to the Delhi taxpayers or for the residents of towns and cities like Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru etc.," the petitioner said.

Maken filed the application in the ongoing public interest litigation wherein he said that huge amounts were spent on advertisements glorifying Kejriwal and the AAP.

The court will now hear the case on March 31.