Narendra Modi must quit, SC-monitored panel should probe allegations: Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi step down till his name is cleared of alleged charges of graft and sought a probe into the allegations by a Supreme Court monitored committee. The Supreme Court should take "suo motu" cognizance of the matter, Kejriwal told a press conference here, hours after Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi alleged that Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister had taken money from Sahara and Birla groups.

Kejriwal, who had levelled similar charges against Modi in November in the Delhi Assembly, said the Congress was only "following" the Aam Aadmi Party in this regard and also in terming demonetisation as a "scam". "The Prime Minister should resign till his name is cleared of the charges. The matter should be probed by a Supreme Court-monitored Special Investigation Team. Agencies like CBI are in any case controlled by Modi and Amit Shah," Kejriwal said. The AAP chief said BJP patriarch LK Advani had set the "right example" by quitting when his name had surfaced in the Hawala scam. "Narendra Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister whose name has cropped up in raw print. This is a very grave matter but it is being suppressed and has been suppressed over the last two years by attaching officers of their convenience to the case," he said. Kejriwal wondered why the PM was "evading a probe" if he was innocent. The country has been "cheated against", he said. The Delhi Chief Minister said he will send the "Income Tax appraisal reports" in this regard to Prashant Bhushan who has filed a petition in the Supreme Court. These documents have not yet been submitted in the Court, Kejriwal said, displaying few voluminous reports. "We had raised the same issue on November 15 in the Delhi Assembly. It is good that whatever we are doing the Congress is following. We had termed demonetisation a scam, then a month later Rahul said the same thing and today he finally mustered the courage to raise this issue," he said. Kejriwal also sought to know the reason behind Rahul's delay in making the allegations after promising an announcement. "Was he trying to strike a bargain? Congress and BJP have setting. In fact, all the leaders who figure in the papers should be probed," Kejriwal said.