Gupta defends wife, says govt should have probed pension papers

NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition Vijender Gupta on Saturday said his wife’s recommendation to give pension to an old woman — later found ineligible — was not her

NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition Vijender Gupta on Saturday said his wife’s recommendation to give pension to an old woman — later found ineligible — was not her responsibility.

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“(She) only recommended the woman for pension and it was based on the affidavit provided. After the recommendation, it is for government officials to verify and sanction pension and it is not the councillor’s responsibility. All payments are made through cheques or transferred into the accounts of the pensioner. In this case the old and disabled woman Harbhajan Kaur refunded the amount of pension she had received,” a statement issued by Gupta said.

Gupta said that the government was attacking him to cover up the alleged water tanker and premium app bus service scams.

The Aam Aadmi Party government had on Friday attacked Gupta’s wife Shobha Vijender after an order passed by the Central Information Commission indicted her for recommending Kaur’s application for pension.

Chief minister Arvind-Kejriw al had said if the anti-corruption branch was with him, he would get the matter probed.