AAP govt to pursue corruption charges against Dikshit, Mukesh Ambani

All the cases that were registered last year during Kejriwal govt's 49-day stint will be pursued, says Manish Sisodia

Delhi’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, to be sworn in on Saturday, will pursue allegations of corruption against former chief minister Sheila Dikshit and industrialist Mukesh Ambani and others, Deputy Chief Minister-designate Manish Sisodia said on Friday.

All the cases that were registered last year during Kejriwal government’s 49-day stint “will be pursued”, he told PTI in an exclusive interview here. Sisodia, who was asked whether the First Information Reports (FIRs) lodged by the AAP government last year against Ambani, the then petroleum minister M Veerappa Moily and allegations against Dikshit would be pursued, responded “yes, definitely”.

The then chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had ordered the filing of an FIR on February 11 last year against Moily, his predecessor Murli Deora, now deceased, and Reliance Industries chief Ambani for alleged collusion to raise prices of natural gas from the KG basin. The then AAP government had also ordered a probe into alleged irregularities in the purchase of streetlights for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, in which Dikshit’s role had come under the scanner.

Sisodia said the AAP government would “revive” the cases that have been put in cold storage and take them to a “logical conclusion”.

On its key poll promise of slashing power prices by 50 per cent, Sisodia said it would be done “as soon as possible”.

Alleging widespread corruption in the power sector, he said the new government would force the power distribution companies to give financial details to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) that is probing their accounts. Sisodia said the AAP government will also announce 20 kilolitres (20,000 litres) of free water to every household a month.

Insisting police must be brought under the Delhi government, he said: “Lutyens’ Bungalow Zone can continue to stay under the Centre. But is it possible for the Prime Minister or home minister to take care of law and order in places like East Delhi. Police must come under the Delhi government.”

On statehood, he said the AAP government will soon approach the Centre with a “concrete proposal” in this regard and noted that the Congress and BJP had promised full-statehood to Delhi.

Asked whether the issue was raised with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he and Kejriwal met him on Thursday, Sisodia said it was not a meeting to discuss the issue threadbare. “I am sure we will soon have concrete discussion on it. Yesterday, we briefly discussed and the Prime Minister said ‘let us see what can be done’,” he said.

The BJP in its manifesto for 2013 assembly polls had promised full statehood for Delhi. The party had come out with a vision document for the February 7 assembly polls which did not find any mention of the statehood issue.

In its manifesto, AAP had promised to push for full statehood for Delhi if it came to power.

Sisodia said the AAP government would want a “constructive relationship” with the Centre.

“We will expect constructive relationship with them. We welcome competitive politics for the development of Delhi,” he said.

Asked about criticism against Kejriwal by Shanti Bhushan, he said “being critical is not a big thing and individuals are not important”.

On whether AAP will contest the Bihar assembly polls, he said the party’s Political Affairs Committee will take a call on the issue.