The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Thursday, staged a protest near Delhi Secretariat in the National Capital against the Kejriwal Government over ‘Feedback Unit (FBU)’ case.

The protest was led by Delhi BJP working president Virendra Sachdeva and Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri. The protesting leaders were seen sloganeering with binoculars alleging that the AAP Government in Delhi is spying on the Opposition.

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Sachdeva said, “This is unconstitutional, the way Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia appointed a retired director general of police (DGP) to keep an eye over the Sansads, MLAs, MPs, officials, and the Delhiites. The LG of Delhi has ordered to lodge the FIR and now the entire cabinet of Kejriwal will be in the Tihar jail, just like Satyendar Jain.”

Bidhuri also asked CM Kejriwal about the competent authority with whose permission they constituted the said committee.

“The Kejriwal government was spying on the officials of the Raj Niwas, MPs and MLAs of BJP’s Delhi unit. If they are doing this, Kejriwal should tell if he has permission from any competent authority. The Delhi LG has appealed to the President to file an FIR against the chief of the department and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, who is already an accused in multiple cases of corruption. The probe should be taken further,” Bidhuri said.

Meanwhile, veteran BJP leader Vijay Goel asked the Delhi government who gave it the right to “spy” on people and constitute a committee without the nod of the Lieutenant Governor.

“They are wearing binoculars and spying on the people. Who gave them the right to constitute a feedback unit? How could they set up a committee unconstitutionally? What is this secrets service fund? How have they appointed 38 people? How could they constitute a committee without the LG,” Goel asked.

He further alleged that the Arvind Kejriwal-led- Aam Aadmi Party would “waste people’s money” to spy on the BJP leaders, Opposition, Union Ministers, and Sansads.

“They, of course, have kept binoculars at each house. I even feel that they might have kept an eye on their own MLAs as well to know about their whereabouts. I want a Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) probe into it,” he added.

Goel further said: “He should answer where they set up binoculars and rest everything will come to the fore during the probe.”

After the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) report to the vigilance department against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the ‘Feedback unit’ case, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Wednesday referred the case to President of India for the prosecution sanction against Manish Sisodia through the Ministry of Home Affairs.

In March 2017, the Vigilance Department handed the probe to Anti Corruption Branch (ACB). Subsequently, the LG office marked it to the CBI. Preliminary inquiry in the said matter was completed in 2021. The CBI wrote to the LG and the MHA in 2021 for sanction under section 17 A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Under section 17 A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, prior permission/sanction is needed. Sanction has come only for a few, the CBI is waiting for the sanction of others. Once that is given, CBI will file an FIR or RC.

In 2015, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government allegedly created a ‘Feedback Unit’. The aim was to strengthen the vigilance establishment and gather feedback on the working of various government departments, autonomous bodies, or institutions.

In 2016, after the complaint of an officer of the Directorate of Vigilance, Delhi government, a preliminary inquiry conducted by CBI and found that in addition to the assigned job, the FBU, as it was referred to in official communications, also collected political intelligence related to political activities of persons, political entities and political issues touching the political interest of AAP.