BJP Says Due to Fear of CBI, AAP Made A U-Turn On Liquor Policy

New Delhi: After the AAP led Delhi government took a U-turn on its liquor policy, BJP union minister Meenakshi Lekhi fired at Arvind Kejriwal saying that the excise policy was changed due to fear of CBI. Lekhi has alleged that the AAP government has indulged in rampant corruption through the excise policy.

Speaking to the media at BJP state office, the senior party leader alleged that withdrawing the controversial excise policy will not help the AAP supremo. Lekhi further alleged that with the new excise policy the consumption of liquor went up whereas the revenue on the contrary had come down.

She accused the Kejriwal led Delhi government of increasing the commission for liquor contractors from 2.5 percent earlier to 12.5 percent to benefit the contractors. Amid the ongoing investigation by Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and a faceoff between the Lt-Governor and the Delhi government, the liquor policy row in the capital has taken a fresh turn. With only two days left for the current excise policy to expire, the Delhi government has decided to go back to the old regime of retail liquor sales for six months.

Meanwhile, BJP Delhi President Adesh Gupta has said his party had been opposing the new excise police from day one itself and the yearlong protest against this policy "has finally borne fruit". He alleged that under pressure from liquor mafia the Kejriwal government not only gave exemption of Rs 144 crore to liquor companies but even the security deposits of Rs 33 crore were given back to liquor contractors. He said all this was done without taking cabinet into confidence about which they will have to reply at the time of inquiry.