AS Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) escalated its attack, Finance Minister of India Arun Jaitley on Thursday (December 17) hit back on allegations of irregularities against him in the DDCA affairs, saying it was a propaganda technique of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to deflect attention when he himself was in the "dock".
Jaitley broke his silence by writing a blog and addressing the media, a day after Congress and AAP targeted him and asked him to quit over allegations of financial bungling in the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) which he had headed for 14 years till 2013.
Referring to the controversy raked up by Kejriwal over the CBI action against his Principal Secretary Rajendra Kumar, he accused the Chief Minister of resorting to "false propaganda continuously".
"There is no grain of truth in the allegations. I have consistently practised highest standards of probity in
whatever positions I have held," he said at a press conference as AAP again attacked him today and asked him to quit immediately.
Rejecting allegations against him, the Finance Minister said no personal allegations were ever made against him nor did he feel the need of contradicting it.
He said today he has felt the need for speaking in order to counter "any unsubstantiated non-specific allegations".
"I have left cricket administration in 2013. By referring to some facts of 2014 and 2015, he cannot drag me in," Jaitley said.
"Even though I am not concerned with cricket administration since 2013, a Member of Parliament has been writing to various government bodies with regard to Delhi's cricket affairs.
The BJP fielded HRD Minister Smriti Irani to say that the party "resolutely stands behind" the finance minister who has an "impeccable" political record. The DDCA also held a press conference to strongly defend Jaitley.
Not satisfied with Jaitley's reaction, AAP again demanded that either Jaitley resign or he be "removed" to from the Cabinet to enable independent probe into alleged corruption in Delhi District Cricket Association.
Kejriwal said Jaitley's assertion that AAP's allegations against him are "unsubstantiated and non-specific" could not be treated as "gospel truth" as the charges against him were "very very serious".
