A special session of the Delhi Assembly is now discussing the alleged scam in the DDCA.
A day after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley filed two defamation cases against Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders for making allegations of corruption in the Delhi and District Cricket Association, the Delhi Chief Minister lashed out at the Centre daring the Prime Minister and asking him to sack Mr Jaitley from the union cabinet.
Speaking in the Delhi Assembly during a special session discussing the alleged scam, Mr Kejriwal challenged the BJP's contention that the Delhi government cannot inquire into the affairs of the DDCA. The AAP government in Delhi had decided on Sunday to set up a commission of inquiry into the alleged corruption headed by former Solicitor General of India Gopal Subramaniam. The assembly met to pass a resolution formally sanctioning setting up of the inquiry. The BJP has challenged the inquiry saying the DDCA falls outside the Delhi government's jurisdiction. The state has no power to inquire into the affairs of the Cricket body, party sources told NDTV.
"The Centre wrote to us in July asking us to inquire into (Delhi cricket). When they found out who will be caught, they are now saying we don't have the jurisdiction," Mr Kejriwal alleged. "The House has all the powers to look into it," he asserted.
Earlier today, The Delhi High Court today sought response of Mr Kejriwal and five other AAP leaders on the civil defamation suit Mr Jaitley had filed against them on Monday. Mr Jaitley has sought damages of Rs 10 crore from Mr Kejriwal,Ashutosh, Sanjay Singh, Kumar Vishwas, Raghav Chadha and Deepak Bajpai.
Mr Jaitley had also filed a case of criminal defamation against these leaders, separately in the court of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate. Former Law Minister Ram Jethamalani has decided to represent the Delhi chief minister in both the cases, news agency Press Trust of India said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi told lawmakers from his party in the morning that the allegations against Mr Jaitley are "baseless." The Prime minister's defence of his cabinet colleague came six days after the allegations had first surfaced. Party chief Amit Shah had spoken in Mr Jaitley's support on Monday.