DDCA row: Defamation cases will not scare AAP, says Arvind Kejriwal

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New Delhi: A defiant Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday asserted that the Aam Aadmi Party will not be scared by civil and criminal defamation suits against him and five other AAP leaders by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and asked him to prove his innocence before the inquiry commission.

Kejriwal suggested that Jaitley should instead cooperate with the Commission of Inquiry formed by the Delhi government to probe the alleged irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association.

“Jaitley should not try to scare us by filing cases against us. Our battle against corruption shall continue. Jaitley ji should cooperate with the Commission of Inquiry and prove his innocence there,” Kejriwal tweeted.

Jaitley on Monday filed both civil and criminal defamation cases against Kejriwal and five other AAP leaders for allegedly defaming him and sought Rs 10 crores in damages and their prosecution for offences that entails a punishment of upto two years in jail.

The Chief Minister’s decision to brazen it out became clear last night itself as the other AAP leaders named by Jaitley in his defamation suit had stuck to their guns and continued to target the Finance Minister.

“Setting aside his ministerial responsibilities, Jaitley ji is making the rounds of the courts. But we won’t let the matter get buried this time around. We will continue to hold him corrupt in DDCA affairs,” AAP leader Sanjay Singh said.

Jaitley should not “threaten” us with jail and should instead focus on replying to the specific queries raised by us, Ashutosh said. The Finance Minister has rubbished the allegations of irregularities against him and his family.

Kejriwal and the five AAP leaders have publicly been making allegations against Jaitley with regard to the DDCA affairs although some of the allegations have gone beyond that. Top leaders of the BJP hit back, accusing AAP of attempting to reduce the stature of Jaitley in public life and hailed the finance minister for maintaining an “impeccable standard of probity”.

“AAP is using the route of defaming him (Jaitley) and his family members through namecalling in press conferences and the social media,” Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Jaitley’s junior in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, said.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Cabinet has approved setting up of one-member inquiry commission under former Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium to probe alleged irregularities in DDCA. The Cabinet also decided to call a special session of Delhi Assembly tomorrow to discuss alleged irregularities in DDCA and last week’s CBI raid at the Delhi Secretariat.

PTI