Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (file pic)
, the chief minister of Delhi, has made his second move this week to target Sheila Dikshit, his predecessor and senior Congress leader, for alleged corruption. Mr Kejriwal asked anti-corruption officials today to file an FIR or First Information Report against Ms Dikshit for an alleged Rs 31-crore scam crafted around expensive street-lighting for the Commonwealth Games in 2010. An FIR is the first step in the filing of formal charges.
Just two days ago, Mr Kejriwal wrote to the President of the country asking for Ms Dikshit to be investigated for authorizing illegal colonies in 2008 for political profit in the national election held a year later. (
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Today's developments should not be seen as proof of vendetta, his party said.
"Our target is not an individual (Sheila Dikshit). But it was people's money that was misused," said Manish Sisodia, a minister in Mr Kejriwal's government.
The Commonwealth Games, held during Ms Dikshit's third term as chief minister of Delhi, were sign-posted with corruption. From toilet paper to treadmills and machines that displayed scores, inflated rates were paid, often to ineligible companies.
Suresh Kalmadi, the head of the Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee and then a Congress law-maker, was arrested on charges of venality.
A panel appointed by the PM to investigate graft in the Games had faulted Ms Dikshit for over-spending on new street-lighting and signage mounted in the city for the event.
The Comptroller and Auditor General also found that using foreign street-lights at exorbitant costs added up to additional expenditure of 31 crores.
In December, Mr Kejriwal, who heads the Aam Aadmi Party, positioned as an anti-corruption start-up, led the electoral decimation of the Congress and Ms Dikshit in the state elections.
Though his minority government is propped up by the Congress, Mr Kejriwal has vowed to hold Ms Dikshit and her party accountable for the graft that he claims permeated their 15-year governance of Delhi.