According to a Times of India report, fifty Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs including the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, Health Minister Satyendra Jain and Gopal have refused to declare assets and liabilities by Delhi Lokayukta Reva Khetarpal. Lokayukta is an anti-corruption ombudsman organization. Ironically, the AAP was born from the moment that had its genesis in the demand for Lokayukta. The AAP MLAs even filed affidavits stating that the Lokayukta does not have jurisdiction to issue such directions as there does not exist any law that prescribes it. They called the Lokayukta’s demand “illegal”.
According to media reports, the two BJP MLAs- Vijender Gupta, and Manjinder Singh Sirsa and one AAP rebel- Kapil Mishra- have submitted their property details for 2015-2016, 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 to the lokayukta. They also criticized the AAP and termed its move as “hypocrisy on transparency”.
The AAP MLAs also stated that the complaint filed by advocate and RTI activist Vivek Garg to the ombudsman, on the basis of which the notice was issued, “is devoid of any merit and the same be dismissed with exemplary cost”. Garg had claimed that, “AAP MLAs had not filed details of their assets from 2015 to 2018 and were concealing them in a conspiracy to obtain wrongful gains”.
AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj stated, “The notice by the lokayukta to MLAs is malafide as it is guided by her tiff with the Delhi government. She has misused her office and powers and we are protesting that misuse.”He also said, “All of us will again file the affidavits in 2020 elections detailing ours and our family assets and liabilities.” At the same time, Bharadwaj said, “The Centre should make it compulsory under Lokpal and Lokayukta Act for all MPs and MLAs to file an annual report of assets. We will support this law in Parliament.” He also added, “As of now, it’s the Central government that has kept this provision of the Lokpal & Lokayukta Act in abeyance.” An AAP statement reads, “Moreover, the notice by the Lokayukta to MLAs is mala fide as it is guided by her tiff with the Delhi government. The Lokayukta has misused her office and powers and we are protesting that misuse.”
The AAP MLA and the Delhi Assembly speaker Ram Niwas Goel also refused to comply with the notice “in protest” against the Lokayukta’s “misuse of her office and powers”, He also slammed Khetarpal. Goel said, “showing tearing hurry in issuing notices to AAP MLAs.”
Law minister Kailash Gahlot said, “In my affidavit, I urged that the complaint be dismissed with exemplary cost as it is devoid of any merit. I have given a point by point legal standing on the complaint as well. ”The BJP MLA from Rohiniand the leader of opposition, Vijender Gupta, also attacked the AAP. He said, “The AAP’s real face is now exposed. AAP came to power by making Lokpal their poll plank and now they only are shying away from being transparent. Their act is an open defiance of constitutional authority.”