AAP, BJP face off over CBI report

New Delhi: A row erupted on Wednesday over a CBI report claiming political intelligence gathering by the Feedback Unit (FBU) formed by the AAP after coming to power in Delhi in 2015, with the BJP demanding registration of case against Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

Hitting back, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said the BJP's allegation that Sisodia was involved in "political snooping" is "completely false". The Kejriwal government claimed in a statement that these all cases are "politically motivated". "The CBI and ED should rather investigate the dubious relationship between Modi and Adani where the real corruption happened," it alleged. The CBI in its preliminary inquiry report found that the FBU formed through a Delhi cabinet decision on September 29, 2015 indulged in gathering political intelligence. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva alleged that the AAP since its inception has been working with hostility towards its political opponents.

"The Kejriwal government formed FBU to keep an eye on not only its political opponents but Union Ministers, MPs, LG Office, media houses, leading businessmen and also the judges," Sachdeva charged in a press conference.

The CBI in its report submitted to Vigilance department sought approval of the LG who is competent authority in the matter, to register a case against Deputy CM Manish Sisodia who played an "active role" in creation of the FBU. The central agency also sought permission of the LG for registering cases against others involved in functioning of the FBU. Sources said LG VK Saxena has referred the CBI request to the President through the Ministry of Home Affairs, for registration of a case against Sisodia.

The LG has also sent the CBI recommendation to Home ministry, regarding registration of cases against then FBU joint director, RK Sinha, and FBU officers Pradeep Kumar Punj and Satish Khetrapa. Approval for the prosecution against then Vigilance director, Sukesh Kumar Jain, an IRS officer, will come from the Finance ministry, they said.

The approval has, however, been given by the LG for registration of a case against Delhi Chief Minister's advisor Gopal Mohan, the sources said. The AAP in a statement said "the whole country knows political spying is done by Modi not Manish Sisodia. An FIR should be registered against Modi not Manish Sisodia," the party said in its statement. The CBI report said that the FBU was tasked to gather actionable feedback regarding working of various departments of Delhi government and also to do "trap cases". The FBU started functioning from February 2016 and a fund of Rs 1 crore was kept for it under "secret service expenditure". A rough analysis of nature of reports generated by the unit revealed that while 60 per cent of it was related to vigilance matters, political intelligence and other issues accounted for around 40 per cent, the report said.