The political storm surrounding Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has intensified as Delhi’s newly elected BJP government, led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, tabled damning Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports. Former Chief Minister Atishi, who took charge briefly before AAP’s downfall, continues to put up a defiant front, vowing street protests against the revelations. However, Kejriwal and his colleagues find themselves cornered as a string of financial scandals come to light.
Ever since central agencies like the Income Tax Department, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched probes into AAP’s multi-crore scams, the party has dismissed the allegations as political vendetta. Kejriwal, a self-proclaimed anarchist, initially defended his deputy, Manish Sisodia, when he was arrested over the Delhi liquor policy scam. However, the tables turned when the CBI named Kejriwal as a prime accused, leading to his arrest and imprisonment in Tihar Jail.
Despite AAP’s repeated claims of innocence, the Supreme Court granted bail to the accused due to a lack of concrete evidence at the time. But with the latest CAG findings, Kejriwal and his associates are in a deeper crisis.
The CAG’s 14 reports expose large-scale financial mismanagement and corruption within the AAP government. The findings include:
- Excise Scam: AAP’s liquor policy reportedly caused a loss of nearly ₹2,000 crore to the Delhi exchequer.
- Sheesh Mahal Controversy: Amid the COVID-19 crisis, Kejriwal spent ₹36 crore on renovating his residence, including ₹96 lakh on curtains, ₹39 lakh on kitchen equipment, ₹4.8 lakh on a minibar, and ₹16.27 lakh on silk carpets.
- Air Pollution Mismanagement: The ‘Prevention and Mitigation of Vehicular Air Pollution’ report flagged irregularities in pollution control monitoring, fraudulent issuance of Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCCs), and misappropriation of funds meant for parking infrastructure.
The BJP had long accused AAP of deliberately suppressing these CAG reports. Now in power, the BJP has prioritized their disclosure, highlighting AAP’s failure to table these documents in the assembly. Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena had earlier censured Atishi for delaying their presentation, further escalating the controversy.
Atishi, now the Leader of the Opposition, has attempted to shift the blame, claiming she forwarded the reports to the Assembly Speaker before the elections. However, with the BJP’s landslide victory—securing 48 out of 70 seats—AAP’s credibility has taken a severe hit.
The CAG reports provide substantial ammunition for central agencies to escalate their investigations against AAP leaders. As the Modi government remains firm on tackling corruption, Kejriwal and his party face an existential threat. With mounting legal battles and a disillusioned electorate, AAP’s future in Indian politics appears bleak.
For Kejriwal and his associates, the fight is no longer about political survival—it’s about staying out of prison.
