Ahead Of Delhi Polls, AAP-BJP War Of Words Over 'CAG Report' On Excise Policy Projecting 'Rs 2,026 Cr Loss'

While BJP said 'CAG report exposed intentional lapses' on part of the AAP, the latter dismissed the claims, questioning the existence of the report as it asked if the document was 'made at BJP office'

BJP leader Anurag Thakur (left) and AAP legislator Sanjay Singh.

Source : PTI

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) engaged in a war of words Saturday over a purported report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) that allegedly projected a loss of Rs 2,026 crore to Delhi due to the AAP government's excise policy. While the BJP said the AAP did not table the report in the assembly to hide its "misdeeds", the latter dismissed as "manufactured and baseless" the claims about the CAG report and accused the BJP of fabricating false allegations.  

AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh questioned the authenticity of the report and asked where the official report was and whether it was prepared in the BJP's office.

"Where is the report? Is it made in the BJP's office? The BJP itself keeps saying no CAG report has been tabled. The BJP is scared. They have become mentally unstable. We cannot respond to everything. On one hand, they say the CAG report has not been tabled, but on the other, they say it has been released. What do they mean?" Singh asked.  

दिल्ली में अपनी हार देखकर बौखलाई BJP ने अपने दफ़्तर में बनाई फ़र्ज़ी CAG रिपोर्ट‼️ pic.twitter.com/lMQoeDcJKA

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) January 11, 2025

Although the report has not been officially released, parts of it are in circulation on social media, triggering a major row ahead of the upcoming February 5 Delhi Assembly elections.

The BJP claimed that Rs 890 crore of the total loss was incurred after failure to re-tender surrendered retail liquor licences, and that key approvals from the Lieutenant Governor, Assembly, and Cabinet were bypassed. Addressing a press conference Saturday, BJP leader Anurag Thakur said the CAG report arrived at "10 major findings" about the now-scrapped excise policy, asserting that former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal should answer all the questions.

AAP Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar dismissed the BJP’s claims and said it was making false allegations. 

It may be mentioned that the BJP had been accusing the AAP government of sitting on over 14 CAG reports, demanding an immediate assembly session to table them. The matter reached the Delhi High Court after seven BJP MLAs filed a petition on the issue. On January 9, the Delhi assembly secretariat told the court that tabling the CAG reports in the assembly would serve "no useful purpose" since the government's tenure is ending in February.  

Kakkar said Saturday the BJP had not been able to show any evidence against the AAP leaders in the court, and that nothing was proved in the court. 

#WATCH | Delhi: AAP Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar says, "BJP's work is to speak lie, where is the CAG report...They are not able to answer anything...They were not able to show any evidence against any of the AAP leaders in the court...CBI works like a puppet...BJP people are… pic.twitter.com/BtMLnppmbX

— ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2025

Later in the day, she also held a press conference where she said the report presented by the BJP was not authentic and had not been seen by key stakeholders, including the Delhi CM and the LG. "The report they are showing is fake and manufactured in their office. It holds no credibility. This is the same strategy the BJP uses repeatedly to mislead people with false allegations,” Kakkar said.

What The BJP Claimed

Addressing a press conference, BJP leader Anurag Thakur said that the purported CAG report listed 10 major findings regarding the now-scrapped policy, and that former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should answer the questions raised in the alleged report.

In addition to alleging that the liquor 'scam' amounts to Rs 2,026 crore, Thakur said the Group of Ministers (GoM), led by then-Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, ignored recommendations made by an expert panel. He claimed the CAG has fixed accountability, putting the AAP government in the dock for ignoring expert opinion, allowing bidding despite complaints, not penalising violations, and not following transparency in framing the excise policy.

"Kejriwal used to demand the arrest of Sonia Gandhi 11 years back for various scams and is now evading replies in the cases of corruption involving his party," Thakur said.

VIDEO | BJP leader Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) addressed a press conference in Delhi targeting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and party convenor Arvind Kejriwal over CAG report.

He says, "It may be a FY 2024-25, but Delhi's liquor scam amounts to Rs 2026 crore. AAP promised… pic.twitter.com/bSoF5TIsUO

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 11, 2025

Both Arvind Kejriwal and his then deputy Manish Sisodia were arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an alleged corruption case in framing the Delhi Excise Policy, which was later scrapped.

BJP national president JP Nadda also attacked the AAP on the purported CAG report, saying it "exposed intentional lapses in policy implementation". 

"Intoxicated by power, high on misgovernance. ‘AAP’DA model of loot in full display and that too on something like liquor. Just a matter of a few weeks before they are voted out and punished for their misdeeds. CAG Report on 'Liquorgate' exposes Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party Gov. Intentional 'Lapses' in Policy Implementation. Rs 2026 Cr Loss to Exchequer money," Nadda said in a post on X.