I am open to probe, haven’t done anything wrong, says Sheila

Dikshit said she was not afraid of facing any investigation as she had not done anything wrong

Former chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Friday rejected the allegations against her in the alleged R-400 crore Delhi Jal Board (DJB) tanker scam as ‘politically motivated’.

Former chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Friday rejected the allegations against her in the alleged R-400 crore Delhi Jal Board (DJB) tanker scam as ‘politically motivated’.

Dikshit said she was not afraid of facing any investigation as she had not done anything wrong

Speaking to Hindustan Times, the Congress veteran questioned the ‘timings’ of the allegations and the sudden ‘movement’ in the case.

In her defence, Dikshit also said there was no ‘wrongdoing’ in the tendering process and that all decisions were taken “unanimously, taking into confidence BJP councillors” who were Delhi Jal Board members.

“There is a sudden haste being shown both by the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party. It surely makes the timings a suspect,” said Dikshit, adding that she had not received any formal intimation from the anti-corruption branch (ACB) in the matter.

There is speculation that Dikshit may be given an important role in the party -- either the face of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh or the Congress’ election in-charge of Punjab after senior leader Kamal Nath quit the post. Both states are slated to go to assembly elections next year.

The former CM said this and the timing of the investigation in the tanker scam coinciding shows that the charges against here were “politically motivated”.

Read: Delhi LG asks anti-graft agency to probe Jal Board’s tanker scam

Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung had on Wednesday forwarded the Delhi government’s fact-finding report on the alleged scam that took place between 2008 and 2011, when Sheila Dikshit was the chief minister, to the anti-corruption branch for further probe.

The Delhi government had on Monday forwarded the report to the L-G. It recommended that the Centre and the L-G should initiate either a CBI inquiry or an ACB probe against Dikshit in the scam.

Water minister Kapil Mishra had forwarded a copy of the fact-finding report to the prime minister and the L-G after leader of opposition Vijender Gupta raised the issue in the Delhi assembly’s recent special session.

Underlining that all due procedure was followed in the tendering process during her tenure, Dikshit maintained that all records related to the case were in place and she was open to any probe.

“The decision to procure tankers was taken unanimously by the board. And the board had BJP councillors as members as well,” Dikshit said, who was chief minister of Delhi for 15 years before the AAP wrested power from the Congress.

Read: Sheila Dikshit may be Congress’ CM face for UP elections