Congress today demanded recovery of nearly ₹ 854 crore from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi for publishing advertisements on self-promotion, a day after a Central government-appointed committee said the Kejriwal government splurged exchequer’s money on the advertisements.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his administration should also be probed by CBI or any other agency for “criminality” in the matter, AICC senior spokesman and Delhi PCC chief Ajay Maken told reporters.
Maken insisted that Lt Governor Najeeb Jung should ensure recovery of the advertisement cost at commercial rate which are issued at thrice the cost of the DAVP (Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity) rate as they were issued for promotion of the ruling AAP and its leaders.
He said the AAP spent ₹284.67 crore during its regime on advertisements which were published outside Delhi.
“Had the AAP issued these advertisements on non DAVP rates, three times more, the cost of the same would have been more than ₹ 850 crore. As per the Order of the Committee, AAP is liable to reimburse the Delhi government a sum of more than ₹ 854 crore,” he said.
A Central government-appointed committee, headed by former Chief Election Commissioner B B Tandon, in its order yesterday came down heavily on the AAP government, saying it had splurged public funds on advertisements projecting Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his party in violation of the Supreme Court guidelines and asked the ruling party to reimburse.
The three-member committee had been constituted by the I&B ministry on directions of the Supreme Court to address issues related to Content Regulation in Government Advertising.