AAP govt ignored violations of excise policy, recommendations of expert committee: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday stepped up attack on the AAP, claiming its government in Delhi ignored infractions in the implementation of the excise policy and recommendations of an expert committee set up to reform liquor trade in the capital.

The saffron party said the AAP leaders had been patting each other on the back and digressing from the questions raised on the alleged malpractices.

According to the Delhi excise policy, producers, retailers and distributors of liquor cannot be the same. Also, there cannot be common directors or shareholders in different companies bidding for licenses, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said at a press conference in the national capital.

On October 25, 2021, the Delhi excise department had brought some cases of common producers, retailers and distributors to the notice of the government, but it did not act on it, he claimed.

BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma said the expert committee was against promotions to push liquor sales but the Delhi government gave a carton free on every carton sold.

The committee had suggested to follow the Karnataka model wherein the government is responsible for wholesale business. The panel said no individual can be given more than one license.

It had also recommended against opening liquor vends in non-conforming areas like villages and colonies without commercial markets. But the government ignored all these suggestions, he alleged.

"The policy says the license fee should be forfeited if the applicant does not accept the license after winning the bid within a stipulated time. The AAP government returned Rs 144 crore to such persons but did not waive a single rupee of small businessmen during the Covid pandemic," Verma claimed.

The new excise policy caused a loss of Rs 6,500 crore to government exchequer. This itself is a crime, he said.

Verma said the BJP had been asking chemistry questions but Delhi Excise Minister Manish Sisodia is giving "answers of history".

"They have been deflecting questions and pitching Kejriwal as an alternative to PM Modi (for 2024 general elections)... They have been patting each other on the back," he said.

Verma also attacked AAP MP Raghav Chadha, saying he was a "weak" wrestler who challenged "Gama pehalwan" -- referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- and ran away.

Image: PTI