New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) divided the portfolio list on Tuesday between its leaders, Kailash Gahlot and Raaj Kumar Anand, just hours after Delhi ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain resigned, reported news agency ANI. Minister Kailash Gahlot has been given Finance, Planning, Public works dept, Power, Home, Urban Development, Irrigation & flood Control and Water departments.
Raj Kumar Anand will look after the Education, Land & Building, Vigilance, Services, Tourism, Art Culture & Language, Labour, Employment, Health and Industries departments.
Following the resignation of Delhi's Cabinet members Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain due to corruption allegations against them, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced that two new ministers will be appointed soon. AAP's national spokesperson, Saurabh Bhardwaj, stated that most of the important departments in the small Delhi Cabinet were handled by Sisodia and Jain, and the appointment of new ministers was necessary to avoid delays in the government's work.
Bhardwaj also accused the Centre of targeting state governments that work tirelessly for development and called the situation unfortunate. He said that both Sisodia and Jain are known across the world for their public work, which is why the BJP-led Centre had targeted them in false cases. "This is not a good sign... Sisodia and Jain are honest and hard working ministers and every member of the Aam Aadmi Party stands behind them," Bharadwaj said.
Sisodia was arrested on Sunday by the CBI in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the liquor policy for 2021-22. On the other hand, Jain is currently in Tihar Jail for an alleged money laundering case.
Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and his cabinet colleague Satyendar Jain on Tuesday resigned from their posts in the state cabinet. CM Arvind Kejriwal accepted their resignation.
“Several FIRs have been registered against me and more are in the offing. They left no stone unturned to ensure that I leave you. I was threatened and even offered bribe, but I did not relent. As a result, they arrested me for not bowing before them”, Sisodia wrote in his resignation letter.
“I am not scared of their jails and am not the first person to be arrested for following the path of truth. I have read countless stories of people who fought against the British and were jailed on false charges. Some were even hanged till death”, he added.
Sisodia asserted that those who are "scared" of Kejriwal's politics have made the allegations of corruption against him.
“The people of the country who are battling poverty, unemployment, inflation and corruption see Arvind Kejriwal as a hope. They don't see him among the leaders who believe in ‘jumlas’ as Kejriwal does what he speaks”, he said.
“Nobody in the world can neither force me to be corrupt nor compromise my integrity. Even if I wish, I cannot force anyone to do corrupt deeds nor shirk my work”, Sisodia said.
The CBI detained Sisodia for alleged corruption in the development and implementation of the scrapped liquor policy for the national capital for 2021–22.
The Enforcement Directorate detained Satyendar Jain in May of last year for his alleged involvement in a money laundering case.