Page 65 - Aap

Delhi govt appointed AAP workers as fellows with fat hefty salaries: Report

The Delhi government employed 437 private individuals, mostly AAP workers, as fellows and consultants with hefty salaries, LG House sources said on Sunday, even as the ruling party denied the "arbitrary" allegations. In the latest flashpoint, Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recently approved the termination of services of 437 specialists appointed by the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP dispensation to various departments and agencies of the city government. The LG cited irregularities in their engagements for the move. Kejriwal had said the termination of the specialists would strangulate the Delhi government and its services, and hoped that the Supreme Court would quash it "The government brazenly flouted the constitutional provision of reservation for SC/ST/OBC in employing these private individuals. It also rigged the entire selection process, chose favoured individuals with dubious qualifications, and used these so called fellows' and consultants' as political/party workers for political

Congress has regularly compromised interest of its state units: BJP

The Congress has regularly compromised the interest of its state units and reduced itself to a bunch of people running around Rahul Gandhi to keep him relevant, the BJP on Sunday charged after the opposition party came out in support of AAP on Delhi Ordinance issue. The BJP's reaction came after the Congress made it clear that it will not support the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in Delhi and will oppose any attempt of the central government to "sabotage federalism" in the country. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which governs Delhi, said the Congress' "unequivocal opposition" to the Delhi ordinance was "a positive development". However, the BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya lashed out at the Congress' central leadership. Delhi Congress had opposed support for AAP. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is standing up against Mamata Banerjee's murderous regime in West Bengal. But in both states, the central leadership of the Congress has struck a deal with AAP and th

AAP will participate in Oppn parties' meeting in Bengaluru: Raghav Chadha

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will attend a meeting of opposition parties in Bengaluru to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the BJP unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, party leader Raghav Chadha announced on Sunday. After a meeting of the AAP's highest decision making body -- political affairs committee (PAC) -- at party national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence here, Chadha also welcomed the Congress' decision to oppose in Parliament the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in Delhi. The AAP had earlier said it would join the meeting in Bengaluru only if the Congress extended its support to the AAP in opposing the Delhi ordinance in Parliament. After the PAC deliberations, Chadha announced that the AAP under the leadership of Kejriwal will participate in the opposition meeting in Bengaluru, beginning with a dinner on Monday. This will the second meeting of more than a dozen opposition parties as they seek to chalk out a jo

Congress will not support Centre's Delhi ordinance in Parliament

The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday said the Congress' "unequivocal opposition" to the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in Delhi was "a positive development". The AAP is, however, yet to make it clear if it will join a meeting of several opposition parties in Bengaluru beginning Monday. The party had earlier said it would join the meeting only if the Congress extended its support to the AAP in opposing the Delhi ordinance in Parliament. Earlier in the day, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said the party's stand is clear as it will oppose any such move by the Centre to intervene in states ruled by opposition parties through the governors and has decided to oppose the Delhi ordinance in Parliament whenever a bill comes up. "We took the decision yesterday. We are not going to support any attempt to sabotage the federal system of the country and to intervene in the state matters through governors. We are not going to support the Delhi ordinance," he told

BJP's RP Singh dismisses conspiracy charge, says AAP trying to hide failure

This after the AAP accused the NDA regime at the Centre and the BJP-ruled Haryana of hatching a conspiracy to pluge the national capital into a flood crisis by releasing water

BJP blames 'inaction', 'corruption' of AAP govt for floods in Delhi

The BJP on Saturday alleged that inaction and corruption of the AAP government was responsible for the flood in Delhi and asked Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to apologise to the people for "failing" to handle the situation. Addressing a press conference, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia and party MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma alleged that the flood was caused by lack of desilting of the Yamuna in the last eight years of the Kejriwal government. "The AAP and Kejriwal are big on making excuses, corruption and inaction. Just like they blamed the Centre and other states during the COVID-19 pandemic and for pollution, they were now accusing Haryana for flood in Delhi," Bhatia said. He said while the Centre, army, NDRF, Delhi LG and other agencies were working hard to provide relief to the people, the AAP leader and ministers of the Kejriwal government were alleging there was a "conspiracy" to flood the city. Verma claimed that in a meeting on May 23 this year, it was decided how much wate

Delhi floods caused under conspiracy by BJP: AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj

Delhi Cabinet minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Saturday alleged that flood in the city were caused by the the BJP-led Centre and Haryana government wilfully releasing water towards the national capital. Addressing a press conference here, Bharadwaj said it has not rained in Delhi in the last 3-4 days, yet still the water level in Yamuna reached 208.66 metres. "The water from Hathnikund Barrage is released from three canals -- Western Canal, Eastern Canal and Yamuna. As part of a conspiracy, between July 9 and 13, water was released from Yamuna canal only towards Delhi. There was no water released through the Western and Eastern Canal," he claimed. Similar charges were made by him and Delhi Chief Ministr Arvind Kejriwal on Friday, even as the city government butted heads with Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena over a broken regulator that allegedly caused inundation on the Vikas Marg. There was no immediate reaction from the BJP on fresh allegation made by the Aam aadmi Party on Saturday.

Sonia Gandhi extends dinner invite to united Opposition, including AAP

D K Shivakumar states that Sonia Gandhi is likely to attend the second meeting of the Opposition with 24 parties in Bengaluru between July 17-18

Govt spying on AAP through central agencies, alleges Saurabh Bharadwaj

The Delhi Minister said that in one instance he noticed a group of seven people roaming outside AAP headquarters in Delhi. While three among them went in, four stayed outside

SC to hear Sisodia's bail plea in excise scam case filed by CBI, ED

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear the bail pleas of Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia on July 14 in the excise policy scam case probed by the CBI and the money laundering matter arising out of it. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha agreed to hear the matter after senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the former Delhi deputy chief minister, urged the court to take it up for hearing on grounds that his wife was seriously ill and hospitalised. The bench said although the matter is listed for hearing on July 17, it will take it up for hearing on July 14. Last week, Sisodia had moved the top court seeking bail in the CBI and ED cases related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. He has moved the apex court challenging the two orders of the Delhi High Court dismissing his bail petitions in these cases. Sisodia, who also held the excise portfolio among many that he handled as the deputy chief minister of Delhi, was first arrested by

Delhi CM calls meet to discuss waterlogging, rising water level in Yamuna

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold a meeting on Monday to discuss waterlogging caused by torrential rains in the city and Yamuna's rising water levels, officials said. The meeting will be held at the Delhi Secretariat. It will be attended by senior officials of the Irrigation and Flood Control department and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. Delhi recorded 153 mm of rain in a 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Sunday, the highest in a single day in July since 1982, the India Meteorological Department said. The Delhi government issued a flood warning on Sunday as Haryana released more than one lakh cusecs of water into the Yamuna river from the Hathnikund barrage. The irrigation and flood control department said this was the first warning, with 1,05,453 cusecs of water discharged at 4 pm. The Central Water Commission (CWC) said the water level in the river in Delhi is rising and is expected to surpass the danger mark of 205.33 metres on Tuesday. According to the CWC

AAP launches Bijli Andolan in Haryana; Kejriwal target BJP over power cuts

The AAP on Sunday launched "Bijli Andolan" in Haryana from Panchkula, with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal targeting the ruling BJP over power cuts in the state and saying that free and uninterrupted electricity supply is possible "if the intent is clean". At the event, Kejriwal was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. During the "Bijli Andolan" (electricity campaign), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers and leaders will visit villages and towns and apprise people about "costly power" and regular outages and tell them that free and round-the-clock electricity is possible in Haryana too if the party is voted to power. "We are launching a Bijli Andolan... As you know, I have my roots in Haryana. Many people from the state have met me and told me about power problems. Some of them said that they have to face power cuts for six hours daily," Kejriwal said, addressing a gathering in Panchkula. Referring to a woman, who said she is a widow, among the audience, Kejriwal said

Ordinance on control of services: SC to Delhi govt plea on Monday

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea filed by the Delhi government challenging the constitutionality of the ordinance on control of services. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha is likely to hear the matter. Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi had mentioned the matter seeking urgent hearing on July 6. In its plea, the AAP government has said it is an "unconstitutional exercise of executive fiat" that attempts to "override" the top court and the basic structure of the Constitution. Besides quashing the ordinance, the Delhi government has also sought an interim stay on it. The Centre had on May 19 promulgated the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, to create an authority for transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has termed it as a "deception" with the Supreme Court verdict on control of services. The ordinance, which came a week after

Kejriwal putting AAP workers in govt jobs, alleges BJP's Sudhanshu Trivedi

The BJP leader claimed further that many AAP workers had started taking down their social media accounts fearing that the benefits that they are extending to the ruling party

PM Modi takes dig at BRS during Telangana visit, calls KCR govt corrupt

In a veiled dig at the ruling BRS in Telangana and the AAP government in Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said it was for the first time that allegations of corruption deal between two political parties and state governments were cropping up. Pacts between two state governments for welfare and development issues like sharing water are common, but it is for the first time that such allegations are levelled against two parties, he said referring to the Delhi excise policy case. While AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Mninister Manish Sisodia has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over the matter, BRS leader and Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter, K Kavitha, had appeared before the ED for questioning in connection with the case. Addressing a public meeting after laying the foundation stone for various projects worth Rs 6100 crore here, Modi said the BRS government has used up an entire dictionary to shower abuses on the central government a

Several AAP volunteers given jobs, salaries borne by Delhi govt: BJP

The BJP on Saturday launched a fresh attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, alleging that several AAP volunteers were given jobs and their salaries borne by the Delhi government exchequer. Sudhanshu Trivedi, the BJP's national spokesperson, said the names of several people who worked for Kejriwal but got salaries from the Delhi government have surfaced. There was no immediate reaction available from the AAP on the charge. The BJP's allegation comes days after 437 people hired as specialists, fellows and advisors were terminated by the Services department on the direction of Lt Governor VK Saxena. Trivedi alleged during a press conference that a new character of Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP has been revealed where party workers appointed on government salaries do partywork while holding government positions. Virendra Sachdeva, the BJP's Delhi unit chief, claimed the names of 116 people -- who have since deleted their social media accounts -- have surfaced, showing that they

LG's move to stop specialists' engagement will throttle work: CM Kejriwal

Stopping the engagement of specialists and advisors will "completely strangulate" Delhi government and its services, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday, hoping the move will be quashed by the Supreme Court. Kejriwal's remarks came days after Lt governor VK Saxena approved the termination of engagements of 400 specialists working with the Delhi government. In a follow up to the mass removal, the Services department on Wednesday wrote to different departments and agencies of government to stop engagement of persons as fellows and advisors without the approval of the LG. "This will completely strangulate Delhi govt and its services. I don't know what does Hon'ble LG achieve by doing all this? I hope Hon'ble SC immediately quashes it," Kejriwal said in a tweet on Thursday. Saxena terminated the services of around 400 'specialists' appointed by the Kejriwal government in different departments, citing alleged irregularities in recruitment. "... All the ...

AAP protests, burns effigies of govt's services ordinance in Delhi streets

Aam Aadmi Party MLAs protested against the ordinance passed by the central government and demanded its immediate withdrawal

Excise policy scam: Delhi HC set to pronounce order on Sisodia's bail plea

The Delhi High Court is scheduled to pass on Monday an order on the bail plea of AAP leader Manish Sisodia, arrested for his alleged role in the money laundering case relating to alleged irregularities in the city government's excise policy. As per a cause list uploaded on the court's website this morning, Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma will pronounce the order on Sisodia's bail plea at 2:30 PM. Besides Sisodia, the high court will also pass orders on the bail pleas of businessmen Abhishek Boinpally, Benoy Babu and Vijay Nair, who are co-accused in the money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arising from the alleged scam. Sisodia, former Delhi deputy chief minister and excise minister, was first arrested by the CBI on February 26 for his alleged role in the scam and has been in custody since then. The high court has already denied him bail in the CBI case on May 30. He was arrested on March 9 in the case lodged by the ED and is currently in judicial custody.

Press right button: Punjab CM Mann kickstarts AAP's Chhattisgarh campaign

The Punjab CM, along with party supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, was addressing a mega rally at Science College Ground in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur