Aam Aadmi Party

AAP stages protest outside BJP office in solidarity with jailed Sisodia

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged a protest outside the BJP headquarters here on Monday to express solidarity with jailed party leader Manish Sisodia, while his court hearing was underway. There was heavy police deployment on the stretch of road leading up to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office in view of the protest. Carrying placards that read "Manish Sisodia Tujhe Salaam", the protesters raised slogans, such as "Manish Sisodia ko riha karo" (free Sisodia) and "jail ke taale tootenge, Manish Sisodia chootenge". AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar said, "Manish Sisodiaji has brought a great revolution in Delhi's education sector. The public is with him. Those who dedicate their lives for public welfare, the BJP government puts them in jail. Those who cheat the country like (industrialist Gautam) Adani get protection." Alleging that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has not submitted any proof against Sisodia till date, another legislator Praveen Kumar said the ruling BJP at the Cent

Himanta Biswa Sarma threatens to lodge defamation suit against Kejriwal

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma dared his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal to call him corrupt when the latter is on a Guwahati tour on Sunday

Election Commission says looking into AAP's national status issue

The Election Commission on Wednesday said it is looking into the issue of according the national status to the Aam Aadmi Party. "It is under review... We will soon come back to you," Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar told a press conference here when asked about the issue. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party's electoral performances last year paved the way for it to be recognised by the Election Commission as a national party. To earn a national party status, a political outfit needs to be recognised as state party in four states and have at least two members in the respective legislative assemblies, according to the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) order,1968. And in order become eligible to be recognised as the state party, a political outfit has to win two seats and secures a minimum six per cent votes in the state. There are other criteria also to earn the national party status. The AAP has been recognised as a state party Delhi, Punjab, Goa and Gujarat. The AAP

Dignity of speech has been shattered in last few days: Delhi LG V K Saxena

Amid an ongoing tussle with the APP government, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Friday said that the dignity of speech has been shattered in the last few days but asserted that the relations will remain intact since it is "our government". While exiting the Delhi Assembly, following his maiden address on the first day of the budget session, he was asked by reporters about the sour relations between him and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was accompanying him at the time. "See, there is no doubt that in the last few days, some limits that exist in speech have been shattered. But I would like to say one thing. A tree has said a very beautiful line for the wind It makes my leaves fall every day, but still my relations do not break with it. This is our government, how can relations break," he told reporters. His remarks came amid a war of words between the city government and his office over a range of issues, including sending teachers of state-run schools to Finland for .

Delhi excise case: Court sends Manish Sisodia to ED custody till March 17

A city court on Friday sent former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, arrested in a money laundering case related to the excise policy, to the Enforcement Directorate's custody till March 17. Special judge M K Nagpal allowed the anti-money laundering probe agency to interrogate the senior AAP leader in custody. The ED had sought Sisodia's custody for 10 days. Earlier the court heard arguments of the ED and Sisodia's lawyers on the AAP leader's custody. There was heavy security presence within and outside the Rouse Avenue Courts. The lawyer for the federal anti-money laundering probe agency alleged Sisodia made false statements about the 'scam' and that it wanted to unearth the modus operandi of the perpetrators and confront him with the other accused. ED's counsel Zoheb Hossain also claimed before a special court that Sisodia destroyed his phone, an important piece of evidence in the investigation. The lawyer for the federal anti-money laundering probe agency alleged Sis

Manish Sisodia to be produced in court today: All you need to know

Sisodia was arrested in a case pertaining to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi

AAP to conduct 2,500 nukkad sabhas to inform about BJP's authoritarianism

The AAP will be conducting 2,500 nukkad sabhas across Delhi to reach out to people and inform them about BJP's authoritarianism, following the arrest of its senior leader and former minister Manish Sisodia by the CBI in the excise policy case. On Thursday, an organisational meeting was chaired by Delhi state convenor Gopal Rai and the state unit decided to organise mohalla sabhas and nukkad sabhas to reach out to the residents and inform them "about the misuse of central agencies by the Modi government", the AAP said in a statement. Rai said on March 3, a volunteer meeting will be held in all 70 assembly constituencies in Delhi to expose the BJP. Subsequently, on March 4, the party will hold mohalla sabhas at the state level and on March 6 and 7, meetings will be organised in every polling station of Delhi. Eventually on March 10, nukkad sabhas will be organised in every neighbourhood of Delhi to reach out to the residents. "The AAP will hold mohalla sabhas in more than 2,500 ...

AAP MLAs Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj to be elevated to Delhi cabinet

The development comes after Manish Sisodia, who headed 18 departments, and Satyendra Jain, who has been in jail for months in a money laundering case, stepped down as ministers on Tuesday

Sisodia held in open and shut corruption case, arrest Kejriwal too: Cong

The Congress on Tuesday said AAP leader Manish Sisodia has been arrested in an "open and shut case of corruption" and that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should also be arrested for his alleged involvement in the excise policy case. The two leaders are "deeply involved in corruption" and should be dealt with accordingly, Congress leader Ajay Maken said. Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy for 2021-22. "This is an open and shut case of corruption and a big scam has taken place in Delhi, and it should be viewed accordingly," Maken said. He said Kejriwal should also be arrested in the case. "It has now been established in one of the charge sheets and one of the accused liquor barons has said he was made to speak to Kejriwal on Facetime," he added. The Kejriwal government had set up a committee to recommend changes in the ex

Sisodia, Jain resign from Delhi Cabinet; Gahlot, Anand to get portfolios

Delhi ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain on Tuesday resigned from the Cabinet, amid corruption allegations against them. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has accepted their resignations, officials said. Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on Sunday evening in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped liquor policy for 2021-22. Jain is currently lodged in Tihar Jail in a money laundering case.

How Manish Sisodia's arrest poses a challenge to AAP's Delhi govt, Kejriwal

Sisodia has not only been the face of AAP's education policy in Delhi but also heads as many as 18 of the total 33 departments

Decoding Delhi's alleged 'liquor scam' that led to Manish Sisodia's arrest

Under the new, now-scrapped, excise policy, the state government allowed private vendors and shops to sell liquor in Delhi

Filing cases against rivals sign of a coward, weak person: Manish Sisodia

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday said the more AAP will grow, the more cases will be filed against its leaders, following the MHA's sanction to the CBI to prosecute him in a case of alleged collection of "political intelligence". In a communication to the principal secretary to the Delhi Lieutenant Governor, the home ministry said the sanction to prosecute Sisodia was granted under Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. "Filing cases against one's rivals is a sign of a weak and coward person. The more AAP will grow, the more cases will be filed against us," he said in a tweet in Hindi. Early this month, the CBI had said it found in its preliminary inquiry that the feedback unit (FBU) set up by the Delhi government to check corruption allegedly collected "political intelligence" and the agency recommended that an FIR be registered against Sisodia.

Punjab branding Ayushman Bharat centres as Mohalla Clinics: Health Minstry

The Union Health Ministry has said the Punjab government was converting Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres into Mohalla Clinics, a pet project of the Aam Aadmi Party, and has warned of stopping the funds for the scheme. The Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centre (AB-HWC) is formulated with 60:40 contribution ratio by the Centre and state. In a letter written to the state government on February 6, the ministry said that the state has vitiated the spirit of the scheme and "defaulted" on its commitment by branding AB-HWCs as Aam Aadmi Clinics and "not adhering' to the provisions of the memorandum on the implementation of the scheme. "The state has violated the provisions of Clause 10.3 and 10.10 of MoU and has stopped implementing the AB-HWC component of NHM (National Health Mission), therefore releases to the State under NHM do not appear feasible as per provisions of Clause 13 of the MOU," NHM Additional Secretary and Mission Director Roli Singh said in the letter. A to

Delhi govt to plant 5.2 mn trees and shrubs in mega drive beginning Feb 26

The Delhi government will plant 52 lakh trees and shrubs in the city during its mega plantation drive beginning February 26. The city government usually starts the drive in the monsoon, but the large number of trees demanded an early start, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said at a press conference here. He also asked all agencies concerned to get a third-party audit of the tree plantation done in 2021, 2022 and 2023. The minister said the AAP government will also set up a panel to conduct site suitability analysis before taking up the plantation exercise to improve survival rate of the saplings. Rai said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will launch the plantation drive from a location near Shastri Park. "A total of 52 lakh trees, including 25 lakh shrubs, will be planted in Delhi this year. The Delhi forest department will plant 12 trees and 6 lakh shrubs this year," he said, A total of 47 lakh trees and shrubs were planted last year as against the target of 42 lakh.

Sisodia's claims on shuffling PWD secretaries false, misleading, says LG

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's claims that secretaries in the PWD being regularly transferred are "habitually false and misleading" and exhibit "utter lack of knowledge of procedures"

Delhi L-G approves medical boards to deal with surrogacy-related issues

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has approved the formation of medical boards in all 11 districts of the city for dealing with matters related to the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, Raj Niwas officials said on Monday. The Act was notified by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on December 25, 2021. Section 4(iii) of the Act states that no surrogacy or surrogacy procedure shall be conducted, undertaken, performed or initiated without the intending couple possessing a certificate issued by the appropriate authority (district medical board) specifying the need for gestational surrogacy. "However, constitution of the district medical boards (DMBs) was kept pending by the Delhi government ever since the regulation was notified by the central government, which forced intending beneficiaries to approach court," an official said. The DMBs will be headed by the chief medical officer or chief civil surgeon or joint director of health services of the district serving as chairperso

PM has reached heights of dictatorship: AAP slammed centre over I-T survey

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday slammed the Centre over the Income Tax survey operation at the BBC's offices in Delhi and Mumbai, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached the "heights of dictatorship". The I-T department conducted the operation earlier in the day as part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion, according to officials. The surprise action comes weeks after the broadcaster aired a two-part documentary, "India: The Modi Question" even as the Centre blocked access to this series at multiple YouTube videos and Twitter posts sharing any links. "Modi ji, you have reached the heights of dictatorship," said AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, who is also the party's national spokesperson, in a tweet in Hindi, reacting sharply to the survey. "First, imposed a ban on the BBC documentary. Now raids at their offices..Don't forget Modi ji, Hitler's dictatorship also came to an end.Your dictatorship will also end," the AAP leader added. The two-part BBC documentary

Delhi LG approves Feb 16 for convening of MCD House for mayor poll

Delhi LG VK Saxena has given his nod for convening the next session of the MCD House on February 16 for election to the post of mayor, official sources said on Sunday. The government had sent the proposal to hold the House session on February 16 and Saxena has accepted it, they said.

Delhi excise policy: Advertising firm director in ED custody till Feb 13

A court here on Thursday sent the director of an advertising company, who is alleged to have ran the AAP campaign during the 2022 Goa assembly polls, to ED's custody for interrogation in a Delhi excise policy-related money laundering case. Rajesh Joshi, the director of Chariot Productions Media Pvt Ltd, was produced before Special Judge M K Nagpal, who sent him for custodial interrogation till February 13. He was arrested by the ED on Wednesday. The agency sought his ten days' custody, saying he was required to be confronted with other accused in the case to unearth the larger conspiracy. It said the links of the advertising company promoter with regard to alleged diversion of "kickbacks" for the Goa assembly polls in 2022 are under the scanner of the agency. The ED alleged in a chargesheet submitted to the court that a part of the alleged Rs 100 crore "kickbacks" generated in the scrapped Delhi excise policy were "used" in the 2022 Goa assembly election campaign of the Arvind ...