Kejriwal should apologise to Jaitley for allegations: BJP

The BJP on Sunday said there is no mention of Arun Jaitley in the report of the three-member panel set up by the Delhi government to probe DDCA affairs and sought an apology from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for his allegations against the finance minister.

Talking to reporters here, BJP spokesperson M.J. Akbar said that Kejriwal had sought to target Jaitley by alleging that the Central Bureau of Investigation team that raided the office of his principal secretary had gone through a file relating to the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) but noted that the inquiry report does not talk of Jaitley.

"Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should apologise to Arun Jaitley. He should apologise publicly," Akbar said.

He said the inquiry committee had been set up by the AAP government and there was no allegation against Jaitley.

"There is no mistake by Jaitleyji and all mistakes by Kejriwalji (in blaming him). Kejriwal himself will be in the dock," he said, adding: "You cannot run the government on the basis of showmanship."

Dismissing suggestions that the panel had not gone into the accusations against individuals, Akbar said the panel's mandate had been "to prepare summaries of irregularities, if any, by DDCA, its officials and members".

BJP secretary Shrikant Sharma attacked Aam Aadmi Party and also the Congress over their demand for Jaitley's resignation.

"It is old habit of AAP to tells lies, sell them and then wriggle out. They have a habit of throwing muck at others," he claimed.

He said Jaitley had a long and distinguished public life and nobody had raised fingers at him.

Sharma said the Kejriwal government had written in its cabinet note that office of his principal secretary was searched by the CBI while Kejriwal had been telling the media that his office had been searched.

"Their only intention to raise noise and that too on falsehood," he alleged, and added that people of Delhi had begun to "hate" him.

Sharma also attacked Congress over the National Herald issue saying that its top leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were on bail in the case.

"They (AAP and Congress) are trying to spoil the image of the prime minister and finance minister out of frustration and through propaganda," he said.

The BJP leader accused Kejriwal of trying to save his principal secretary and said "if he had some shame, he should apologise". However, he indicated that defamation case filed by Jaitley against Kejriwal will continue.

"This time you have dialled a wrong number and you will have to pay the penalty," Sharma said.

Akbar said Kejriwal should "admit to criminal defamation in the court."

The Aam Aadmi Party has been demanding resignation of Jaitley, accusing him of involvement in alleged irregularities in DDCA during his term as chief of the association.