'Khadi Scam': AAP MLAs To Stage Overnight Protest Against L-G Vinai Saxena In Delhi Assembly

AAP alleges that when Vinay Saxena was the chairman of Khadi Village Industries Board, he had committed a scam of Rs 1,400 crore.

AAP MLAs display placards during a protest against Lt Governor Vinai Saxena at the State Assembly, in New Delhi (Source: PTI)

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party MLAs demanding a probe against the Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena for allegedly changing banned currency notes during his term as the KVIC chairman in 2016, will remain in the assembly premises tonight, said Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson and MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj. The tussle between the AAP government and the Lieutenant Governor is increasing in Delhi. This time the Aam Aadmi Party has made a big allegation against LG Vinay Kumar Saxena. 

AAP alleged that when Vinay Saxena was the chairman of Khadi Village Industries Board, he had committed a scam of Rs 1,400 crore. Not only this, their black money was whitened during demonetisation. During demonetisation, when people were hungry, and upset, our Lt Governor was doing corruption worth Rs 1,400 crore.

"Our MLAs will stay overnight in the Assembly to demand a probe against the LG. From 7 pm onwards, they will sit near the Gandhi statue to protest against the scam by Delhi LG during the time of demonetisation," Saurabh told a press conference on Monday.

While discussing the motion of confidence in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak alleged that the present Lieutenant Governor of Delhi has committed a scam of Rs 1,400 crore as chairman of Khadi Village Industries Commission. 

"In 2016, Saxena forced Khadi's cashiers to exchange his old unaccounted bank notes for him."

"When the whole country was suffering from cashlessness, lakhs lost jobs and several slept hungry, the then KVIC chairman Saxena committed a scam of Rs 1,400 crore in the name of Mahatma Gandhi," the AAP MLA alleged.

According to Pathak, two cashiers of the KVIC had exposed the "scam" but Saxena "himself investigated" their allegations and suspended them.

"Cashiers Pradeep Yadav and Sanjeev Kumar stated on record that after demonetisation, an illegitimate exchange of Rs 22 lakh in cash took place from their (Delhi) branch alone. And in this manner, the same scam was conducted through 7,000 branches of Khadi spread across India," Pathak said.

Defending Saxena, the BJP on Monday said AAP leaders are levelling these allegations "to take revenge".

"Ever since LG V K Saxena assumed office, he is questioning the government over a range of issues such as the excise policy and construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools.

"They (AAP leaders) are doing this to take revenge and divert attention from their wrongdoings," BJP's Rohini MLA Vijender Gupta told reporters in the Assembly.

(With PTI inputs)