Modi government 'strangulating' honest voices against corruption: Kapil Mishra

Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of saving corrupt Congress leaders and "strangulating" the voices of honesty that stand against corruption.

Mishra's reaction came after reports that Delhi's former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit wrote to Lt Governor Najeeb Jung urging him to enquire into the formation and conduct of a fact-finding committee on the water tanker scam which was formed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government after they assumed power in February, 2015.

"I am sure that they will file a case against the fact-finding committee as well, since they have orders to follow in order to save their jobs," Mishra said.

"It is another sad day in Indian democracy where the Modi Government is not only saving the Congress and its corrupt leaders, but at the same time strangulating the voices of honesty that stand against corruption," Mishra added.

In her letter to Jung, Dikshit, who is facing allegations of irregularities in the purchase of water tankers during her tenure, said that the fact-finding committee did not have the competence neither in its constitution nor to investigate the matter, and further was "politically influenced/pressurised to arrive at patently incorrect, baseless and false conclusion".

"It is my request that an inquiry from the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) must be instituted to investigate the composition, working and conduct of this committee, the competence and background of its members and how influences were brought onto it," Dikshit wrote in the letter.

Mishra said that it was clear that the BJP and Congress were working together to ensure that Dikshit remained unhurt and untouched by the law of the land.

"If we had control over the ACB, the true facts of the case would have gotten Dikshit arrested. The BJP is afraid of even naming her," the minister said.

The AAP government in June 2015 had set up a five-member fact-finding committee to probe alleged irregularities in the water tankers case.

The committee report, submitted to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in August 2015, highlighted alleged corruption of Rs 400 crore in the awarding of tenders. It recommended filing of a First Information Report (FIR) against Dikshit and a probe by the CBI and the ACB.

On June 20, the ACB registered an FIR not only against Dikshit but also against Kejriwal.

The FIR against Kejriwal was registered on a complaint by BJP legislator Vijender Gupta "for causing delay in the probe and not cancelling the contract for water tankers".

--IANS

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