Delhi Liquor Policy: BJP Alleges AAP Govt's Scheme Led To Loss Of Rs 2500 Cr, Cites RTI Response

BJP's Shehzad Poonawala has put up a fresh allegation against the Delhi government as he said that the AAP's excise policy led to loss of Rs 2500 crore to the exchequer.

BJP's national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala | Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party's national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala on Sunday cited an RTI application as he alleged that Delhi government's new liquor policy led to the loss of Rs 2500 crores to the exchequer.

Calling it "AAP Ka Paap", he wrote in a series of tweets that the now-withdrawn excise policy led to the loss of a minimum of Rs 2500 crore.

Now 288days & daily loss of ₹8cr = ₹2300cr

THIS IS THE MINIMUM LOSS caused to Delhi Exchequer..

One must also add: Corruption done by AAP leaders in collusion with Sharab Mafia (who remain in jail) as revealed by Sting Operations- huge commission collected

Aap Ka Paap 2/n pic.twitter.com/h9g31nnmmS

— Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) October 30, 2022

Notably, the BJP earlier released a "sting" video in which a liquor seller claimed corruption in the formulation and implementation of excise policy. He alleged that the programme funded the Aam Adami Party's (AAP) election campaigns this year in Punjab and Goa.

Citing the alleged "sting", Poonawala accused the AAP of collecting "huge commission".

The scheme came under the scanner after the Delhi LG recommended a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of Delhi's Excise Policy 2021-22. He had also suspended 11 excise officials in the matter. 

Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena suggested a CBI investigation into the matter. The CBI had named Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia as an accused among others in its FIR and searched his residence.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), probing the money laundering aspect, has also conducted multiple raids in this case to date and also arrested Sameer Mahandru, a liquor businessman and managing director of liquor manufacturing company Indospirit.

The AAP accused the BJP government at Centre of abusing investigative agencies. Sisodia denied the alleged sting and challenged the CBI to arrest him.

"CBI raided my house, nothing was found. Nothing was found in the locker. CBI/ED investigated, found nothing," Sisodia had tweeted in response to the allegations.

"Now BJP has come with sting. CBI/ED should also investigate this sting. If the allegations are true, arrest me by Monday. Otherwise, PM ji should apologize to me for doing a false sting," he further wrote.

(With Agency Inputs)