AAP min CD case: BJP, Cong flay ruling party

New Delhi, Aug 31: The sacking of AAP Social Welfare Minister Sandeep Kumar over an 'objectionable' CD today triggered sharp reactions from BJP and Congress, with the saffron party demanding resignation of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal while the latter asked why such members were not expelled.

Reacting to the development, Delhi BJP said Kejriwal must resign accepting responsibility for picking up a "morally corrupt" MLA in the Cabinet.

"He must be rewarded for handing over Delhi's governance to people with corrupt values," city BJP leader Vijender Gupta said in a sarcastic tone, adding "This has never happened in any government."

DPCC president Ajay Maken too attacked the AAP, saying three of the six ministers who were initially inducted were caught for alleged "fake degree, corruption, moral turpitude".

"But who chose them? Why aren't they expelled from Party?," he asked in a tweet. Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit said, "It is the privilege of the CM to keep the ministers or sack them for whatever reasons, he thinks or believes.

I don't know because Kejriwal has a style of diverting attention from other problems by taking some actions."

"Privilege of CM but neither I support it nor condemn it. He is trying to divert attention ... and comes out with something sensational," she said. Another Congress leader Mukesh Sharma also hit out at AAP and sought the resignation of Kejriwal.

"Prior to this other AAP ministers have also been removed, and now this scandal only shows, that it's the story of Ali Baba and forty thieves, as there are several others in AAP government, against whom cases are due," he alleged.

"This government is corrupt and Arvind Kejriwal should immediately resign from his post on moral grounds," he said. Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav said, "This is not moral rectitude but a damage control exercise."

He alleged that the AAP only sacks people when the information becomes undeniable. He said that in case of AAP leader Asif Ahmed Khan, the information was received twenty days ago, but he was sacked only when his case became public. On Sandeep's case, he said, he was "shocked" as he was the WCD minister.

Yadav said he is ashamed that he was associated with "this gang" at one point of time. "Not surprised, because the way in which candidates and ministers were chosen, every ethical norm was put in dustbin, and this was expected to happen sooner or later," he alleged.

PTI