Kejriwal should quit over 'irregularities' in AAP accounts: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday attacked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for alleged irregularities in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s accounts and demanded his resignation.

"Kejriwal is morally responsible for the irregularities in his party's accounts," Delhi BJP unit chief Manoj Tiwari told reporters at a press conference here.

"He should ponder on this and taking into consideration the letter written by his political guru Anna Hazare, he should own responsibility (for irregularities), apologise to the people and resign," he said.

Tiwari's remarks came after Hazare on Saturday rapped Kejriwal, also the Convenor of AAP, for removing the list of donors from its website. Hazare also asked Kejriwal what differentiates the AAP now from other political parties.

Tiwari also said that all through the BJP has maintained that the funding details of the AAP are fudged and the party has a lot to explain to the people. "Now, the latest revelations have vindicated our stand."

"Kejriwal cannot evade responsibility for these manipulative errors in the AAP's accounts submitted to the authorities, right from the year of formation," he said.

Attacking the AAP leader, Tiwari said the AAP has "always kept three sets of accounts". "One for the public domain, second for the Election Commission and Income-Tax Department, and the third, which has the actual fund collection details, is kept with Kejriwal."

"We believe that these are not inadvertent errors but intentionally done manipulations," he charged.

The BJP leader also alleged that the AAP accounts have major 'Golmaal' (discrepancies).

"After the notice of I-T Department, it is clear that a lot has been hidden or manipulated while submitting the accounts details, both in the list of small contributors and major donors," Tiwari said.

"It's an open and shut case of Golmaal by a party which has been talking a lot on political transparency right since its formation in 2012," he added.

"They were given more than four chances, but they tried to delay the matter and the party has responded only after the final notice was served," the BJP leader, who also represents the Northeast constituency of Delhi in the Lok Sabha, said.

He also accused Kejriwal of habitually violating the constitutional and administrative provisions.

"Kejriwal is himself a former IRS Officer and such violation coming from his party makes us presume that this economic offence is part of his habit to violate the constitutional and administrative provisions," he said.

The BJP leader also questioned why the list of donors to the party remains removed from the website since June this year.

--IANS

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