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South lobby entered Delhi liquor trade due to Kejriwal: Ravi Shankar Prasad attacks AAP

Prasad attacked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the liquor scam and alleged he was responsible for the entry of the South lobby in the alcohol trade in the city.

South lobby entered Delhi liquor trade due to Kejriwal: Ravi Shankar Prasad attacks AAP

Ravi Shankar Prasad

For the second time in two days, BJP senior leader Ravi Shankar Prasad attacked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the liquor scam and alleged he was responsible for the entry of the South lobby in the alcohol trade in the city.

“After the Supreme Court’s observation, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is now blaming the government. Did the BJP and the Centre ask them to get involved in corruption and play this liquor game? Is it possible that you are corrupt and the court will not act against you?” Prasad asked.

“The lower court, High Court, and the Supreme Court have all rejected the bail plea of Manish Sisodia. The Delhi government formulated the liquor policy and allowed the entry of a group from the south. The bigger question is would a scam of this magnitude be possible without the knowledge of Arvind Kejriwal?

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“And in such a situation, if the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has asked Kejriwalji to appear before them, why is there so much of hue and cry?” he asked.

Kejriwal has been summoned by the ED to appear before it on November 2 for interrogation in connection with a money laundering case pertaining to the liquor scam. He was also questioned in the case in April.

“You reframed the liquor policy and raised the commission from 7 per cent to 12 per cent. What was the reason? Who insisted on changing the policy? And the BJP has nothing to do with it, the law is taking its own course. Did the BJP ask you to spend the money to fight the Goa elections and get the national status? Mistakes will invite investigations and that would be troubling for sure,” Prasad said, continuing his tirade against the AAP supremo.

 “When the new policy was framed, a GoM was constituted. This was headed by Sisodia and a middleman helped a south-based lobby to make an entry. When doubts were raised, the matter was put before Kejriwal, and he told them that he knew the middle man,” the former Union minister claimed.

A bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice S V N Bhatti on Monday rejected the bail plea of former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia. Sisodia, however, could apply for bail if the trial drags on and is not completed within six months. He is also entitled to apply for bail on medical grounds.

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