Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday dismissed nepotism charges against him and the Delhi government, calling them "baseless" and defamatory.
Jain said that by making such allegations after his retirement, former Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung seems to be campaigning for the upcoming elections in Punjab.
"There is an attempt going on to unnecessarily defame Aam Aadmi Party. This is being done keeping the Punjab elections in mind," Jain told reporters here.
"He (Jung) is no more the Lt. Governor of Delhi. He should refrain from making such statements. It's like he is campaigning for the elections," he added.
Jung on Wednesday accused Jain and the AAP of "nepotism and gross favouritism" in making appointments of his daughter Soumya Jain and Nikunj Agarwal, a relative of Kejriwal's wife.
Jung alleged that Agarwal was first appointed as a resident doctor and then an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in Jain's office without following due procedure.
"Within 2-3 weeks (of his appointment), he (Agarwal) was sent on a tour to China," Jung told India Today channel.
Jain responded that Agarwal was never sent to China and that his passport will prove that.
"He (Jung) is openly lying. All his allegations are based on lies," he added.
On charges of appointing his daughter as an advisor for Mohalla Clinics project, Jain said: "Soumya was working as a volunteer. She was not appointed at any post. She worked without any payment."
The former Lt. Governor alleged that Soumya took payment for the job but later returned it.
Jain also dismissed charges of irregularities in appointment of contractual employees at the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW).
"All appointments were made against old posts. No new posts were created."
"DCW has done more work in the last two years than it did in 20 years. If you have to do work, you need people," he said.
Jain said that Jung was sensationalising issues.
"Let the inquiry happen and truth will be revealed," he added.
--IANS
vv/sm/vt
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