After Delhi, now the Aam Aadmi Party’s excise policy in Punjab has come under attack from the opposition. Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal - along with several other leaders - on Wednesday met governor Banwarilal Purohit to submit a memorandum against the policy. The leader alleged a scam worth ₹500 crore in the state, just months after chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann took charge.
“Submitted a memorandum to Pb Governor & urged him to order CBI & ED probes in the ₹500 crore scam committed by the AAP govt in Punjab through its "tailor-made" excise policy framed in line with Delhi Policy, which has already been found illegal & case has been registered by CBI. (sic),” Sukhbir Badal wrote in a tweet.
The accusations against the Bhagwant Mann government - which came to power in March after winning a huge mandate - come at a time when the AAP in Delhi is locked in a bitter standoff with the BJP over the liquor policy in the national capital. Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia is at the heart of the controversy as he handles the excise department. His house and a bank locker have been searched by CBI officials so far while the investigation intensifies.
The AAP is no longer battling criticism from the BJP alone. On Tuesday, Anna Hazare - who gained prominence with his anti-corruption movement about a decade ago - also lashed out at Arvind Kejriwal for deviating from the movement that gave birth to the AAP, saying he was “drunk on power”.
{{/usCountry}}The AAP is no longer battling criticism from the BJP alone. On Tuesday, Anna Hazare - who gained prominence with his anti-corruption movement about a decade ago - also lashed out at Arvind Kejriwal for deviating from the movement that gave birth to the AAP, saying he was “drunk on power”.
{{/usCountry}}However, the Delhi CM - hitting back - turned it against the BJP, which according to him, was using the voice of a Gandhian activist for political motive.