Kejriwal slams Centre over ‘graft’ in construction of Dwarka e-way

A CAG audit report found that the Dwarka Expressway is being built at nearly 14 times the cost approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre and accused it of corruption, after an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) flagged alleged cost escalations in the construction of the Dwarka Expressway.

Delhi chief minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, said the Centre had broken “records of corruption”. (HT Photo)

Delhi chief minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, said the Centre had broken “records of corruption”.

“The Modi government has broken all records of corruption in 75 years,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.

Delhi minister Atishi, meanwhile, demanded that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe the cost escalations. “...are you building a golden road in the name of a highway...In whose pocket did ₹6,000 crore go? Will the CBI-ED investigate this?” she posted on X.

AAP’s suspended Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh also said that, since 2014, BJP has been “welcoming” all those with cases of corruption against them in the party, and turning them into “Raja Harishchandra”.

Referring to the alleged irregularities in the expressway construction, Singh said, “As per the latest CAG report, it has found that BJP has committed the biggest scam in the last nine years. This scam will shock everyone.”

To be sure, the CAG audit report found that the Dwarka Expressway — being built to decongest NH-48 between Delhi and Gurugram — is being built at nearly 14 times the cost approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in 2017.

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said that the Delhi chief minister was “frustrated” due to corruption charges against his government, and was trying to confuse the people of Delhi over the CAG report on Dwarka Expressway.