Chaturvedi removed for exposing graft of BJP leaders’ aides: Kejriwal

The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday sought the prime minister’s intervention in the removal of AIIMS chief vigilance officer Sanjeev Chaturvedi. The party said Chaturvedi was removed because he raised corruption cases against people close to senior BJP leaders.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday sought the prime minister’s intervention in the removal of AIIMS chief vigilance officer Sanjeev Chaturvedi. The party said Chaturvedi was removed because he raised corruption cases against people close to senior BJP leaders.

The AAP’s national convenor and former chief minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal said Chaturvedi was about to impose a penalty on a retired AIIMS doctor, who was close to a BJP leader, for violating Medical Council of India guidelines. Kejriwal alleged Chaturvedi highlighted corruption cases against a senior IAS officer of Himachal Pradesh, who has earlier worked as a deputy director (administration) in AIIMS.

“The IAS officer against whom Chaturvedi had initiated the complaint is close to a senior BJP leader. Chaturvedi started taking action against the IAS officer, which is why the CBI could register preliminary inquiry against him. Because of these cases, the IAS officer could not become chief secretary of the state. The health ministry had earlier closed the complaint against Chaturvedi and had praised him,” said Kejriwal.

Kejriwal said Harsh Vardhan’s logic that Chaturvedi’s appointment required the Chief Vigilance Commission’s approval was wrong. He said AIIMS was not included in the list of government institutions that required the CVC’s nod for appointment of a CVO.

“If CVC’s approval was really an issue, the minister could have approached the commission and obtained the same, rather than removing an honest officer. The CVC’s approval was not obtained for any of Chaturvedi’s predecessors,” Kejriwal added.

Claiming Chaturvedi’s removal as breach of privilege of Parliament, Kejriwal said that the Union health secretary had given specific commitment to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on June 6, 2012 that Sanjeev Chaturvedi would be posted as the CVO in AIIMS.

Kejriwal said Chaturvedi’s removal would send a message to honest officers that they should succumb to pressure otherwise they would be removed.