Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for staging a "chakka jam" to protest against the new excise policy in the national capital and alleged that BJP has deep ties with the liquor mafia in the city.
Earlier in the day, the Delhi unit of BJP staged a "chakka jam" against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's new excise policy in the national capital. Condemning BJP over this, Sisodia alleged that the BJP is involved with the liquor mafia in a revenue theft of over Rs 3,500 crores.
The deputy chief minister in a statement said, "The BJP has deep ties with the liquor mafia in Delhi. The BJP had made such a system that wherever there were no legal liquor shops, they used to operate illegal shops and run them through the mafia. The new excise policy of the Kejriwal government stopped revenue theft of over 3,500 crores. Both BJP and the liquor mafia were immersed in this loot of Rs 3,500 crores. BJP is surely feeling pain because their theft has been plugged. The Kejriwal government is now using this recovered revenue for the public interest."
"BJP has been completely jolted by the new excise policy. BJP leaders will not be able to fill their pockets illegally and are now crying loudly. No new liquor shop has been opened in Delhi after 2015 due to the policy of the Kejriwal government. The allotment of the shops which were running earlier was flawed. In several wards, there were 10 to 15 shops and in many wards, there were no shops at all. Where there was no liquor shop, the BJP and the mafia were running illegal liquor shops together. This has been stopped by the government now. Not a single new liquor shop license has been given under the new excise policy," he added.
Sisodia further said that BJP and the liquor mafia were not deterring the theft following which the government converted all taxes into a license fee which will help increase the revenue.
"Earlier there were about 2,000 illegal liquor shops. We had taken a very strict stand regarding this. While taking action on illegal liquor in Delhi, about seven lakh illicit liquor bottles were seized. Apart from this, 1,864 FIRs were lodged and 1,000 vehicles were confiscated. Despite facing such strictness, the BJP and the liquor mafia were not deterring the theft. Because of this, we converted all taxes into a license fee. Now the government will get that increased revenue through the license fee."
The Deputy Chief Minister condemned the alleged hooliganism created by the BJP on the streets of Delhi on Monday and said that the misdeeds of BJP leaders were motivated by their criminal mindset.
"The BJP is upset with our ban on theft that it is troubling the public. DTC buses bought with people's taxes are being vandalized, BJP workers are puncturing their tires. This shows the anti-people mentality of BJP. I strongly condemn the hooliganism that the BJP created on the streets of Delhi today. Today the misdeeds of BJP leaders were motivated by their criminal mindset. This period of the pandemic is to serve the public and not to become a criminal and loot stops, harass the public and damage government property. Two crore people of Delhi are deeply saddened by today's violence of the BJP. People will never forgive the BJP for today's shameful display," he added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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