Delhi BJP files complaint with Lokayukta against Deputy CM and PWD Minister

The Delhi BJP, which alleged that there was a "scam" in the construction of classrooms in government schools Thursday filed a complaint with the Delhi Lokayukta against Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and PWD minister Satyendra Jain. The complaint by Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari accused the ministers in the Kejriwal government of "abuse of position" and "corruption" in the construction of over 12,000 classrooms in government schools.

Tiwari's complaint was filed on his behalf by party leaders. Sisodia on Wednesday had sent a legal defamation notice to Tiwari, Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta and BJP MP Parvesh Verma, demanding their "unqualified" apology for their "cooked up" allegations against him.

Citing an RTI reply, Tiwari and other BJP leaders had Monday alleged that there was a "scam" of Rs 2,000 crore in construction of 12,748 classrooms in Delhi government schools. "Construction of around 12,748 school rooms at very high and inflated cost is being carried out by Delhi government through various agencies," Tiwari said in the complaint.

He also demanded an inquiry against the public functionaries involved in it. The politics over this issue has picked up the pace with Delhi BJP leaders filing of a police complaint and demanding a probe while the AAP has retaliated by sending a defamation notice to Tiwari and other party leaders.

Reacting to the charge, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Sisodia have dared Tiwari to get them arrested and challenged him to come out with a list of 10 schools in BJP ruled states which could be compared with the quality of those run by Delhi government. Slapped with criminal defamation notice, Tiwari hit back saying, BJP leaders will not bow down under pressure tactics.

"We refuse to bow down to your pressure tactics @msisodia. We will prove your corruption ...@BJP4Delhi stands by the people Of Delhi and will recover this enormous sum of taxpayers money. We will go to Lokayukta and the Courts," he had tweeted on Wednesday. The Delhi BJP leaders including its spokesperson Harish Khurana, media relations head Neeldaman Khatri and media head Ashok Goyal asserted that the party will stick to its ground to "expose corruption" in the matter.

"The Legal and Media team of Delhi BJP filed a complaint against the scam in the construction of classrooms by Delhi government. We promise to the people Delhi that BJP will take this case to a logical end," Khurana said. The AAP has accused Tiwari and other leaders of his party of maligning the Kejriwal model of education in Delhi by leveling totally "baseless and fabricated" allegations.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)