North Delhi mayor sends legal notice to Kejriwal, AAP leaders

Last week, after reports of an investigation into Aggarwal’s role in assigning tenders made news, the AAP demanded her resignation in a bid to minimise her influence in the inquiry by the civic body’s vigilance department.

The North Delhi Municipal Corporation mayor Preeti Aggarwal has moved a legal notice against the Aam Aadmi Party leaders on Saturday for allegedly making defamatory comments against her.

Mayor Preeti Aggarwal mayor rubbished the allegations made by the AAP and called them “baseless. (Hindustan Times)

The notice has been served against the Delhi chief minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, spokesperson and MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj and AAP Delhi convener Dilip Pandey.

Last week, after reports of an investigation into Aggarwal’s role in assigning tenders made news, the AAP demanded her resignation in a bid to minimise her influence in the inquiry by the civic body’s vigilance department.

Later, the party had also called press conferences demanding an ‘independent investigation’ by the CBI and resignation by Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari for failing to fulfil his promise of a corruption-free civic body in Delhi.

However, the mayor rubbished the allegations made by the AAP and called them “baseless”.

“The party has made defamatory comments against me in its press conference and press release. It has also pasted posters in entire Delhi calling me ‘corrupt’ which has created an ‘illusion’ among people. In North Corporation, the projects are sanctioned through e-tendering process and no papers or file work is involved. In the given circumstances, how can I influence the tender allotment process?” asked Aggarwal.

However, Bhardwaj said that the North Corporation mayor should also file a suit against President and lieutenant -governor, who have called an inquiry into corruption charges against her in this matter.

Within a year in office, Aggarwal has been embroiled in serious corruption charges in several tender processes as well as purchase of medicines and other contracts.

The civic body’s vigilance department has initiated an inquiry into the allegations following instructions from lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal. Rashtrapati Bhavan has also sought a status report on the matter.