VK Saxena was chairperson of Khadi and Village Industries Commission between 2015 and 2022. (File)
Accused of corruption by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena broke his silence on Thursday and hit back at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying he was resorting to "diversionary tactics and false accusations... out of desperation".
The relations between the two authorities in the national capital have worsened after the Lieutenant Governor — appointed by the BJP's central government — recommended a CBI probe in July into alleged irregularities in the AAP's government's since-withdrawn Excise Policy on sale of liquor. The CBI has named Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in its case, and conducted raids.
The AAP has since been alleging a scam in the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, which Mr Saxena headed between 2015 and 2022, before he got the Delhi post.
"I called for good governance, zero tolerance to corruption and better services for the people of Delhi," the LG said in a tweet, "But unfortunately Hon'ble CM @ArvindKejriwal Ji in desperation has resorted to diversionary tactics and false accusations."
In a brief statement on Twitter, Mr Saxena said he would "not be surprised" if more such "baseless personal attacks" were made on him and his family in the coming days.
AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak had in the Delhi assembly accused Mr Saxena of corruption involving change of demonetised notes in 2016 during his tenure as chairman of the khadi commission.
The AAP says it's a Rs 1,400-crore scam, and has demanded a CBI probe.
The lieutenant governor has decided to initiate legal action against AAP leaders for "false and defamatory" charges levelled on him, officials at his office had said on Wednesday.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)