AAP Spent Rs 25 Crore Of Public Money To Defend Scam Accused Minister: BJP

The BJP slammed the Arvind Kejriwal government Wednesday for reportedly paying over Rs 25 crore as legal fee for fighting cases related to its now-scrapped excise policy, claiming the dispensation has no money for doctors and teachers' salaries but is using the public exchequer to defend the scam accused.

BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia told a press conference here that nothing can be more "shameful" than using public money to save an accused minister like Manish Sisodia, the deputy to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, instead of dismissing them.

The AAP should respond to his party's charge in 24 hours or the conclusion will be that it is "hardcore dishonest" and "paap" (sin), he said.

According to Bhatia, the AAP had spent over Rs 25 crore on legal fees to lawyers in excise policy-related cases.

Bhatia alleged that many doctors working at mohalla clinics, teachers at 12 colleges under the Delhi government and over 4,500 homeguards deployed for security as marshals in DTC buses have not been paid salaries.

"Kejriwal also spends crores on publicity. Why is the government spending so much money to save the corrupt? The AAP should bear the expenses," he said.

Kejriwal has become a "puppet" in the hands of liquor contractors who are running his government, he alleged.

At the press conference, the BJP spokesperson also hit out at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for his recent swipe at the Uttar Pradesh Police when he refused to accept tea served to him at their office, saying angrily that it may be poisoned.

He was there to protest the arrest of a party worker.  Bhatia said the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister should not forget that the same police personnel give security to him.

Replying to another question, he targeted the Bihar government for lathi-charge by the police on protesting students and farmers, claiming that "jungle raj" is prevailing in the state.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)