The Delhi election scene heated up with allegations and counter-allegations flying between the AAP and the BJP on Wednesday.
While AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal called a press conference and alleged a nexus between Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay’s companies and power discoms, the latter called a press meet and threatened to file a case of criminal defamation.
Earlier, asking the State BJP chief to come clean on his companies’ dealings with power discoms, Kejriwal released some documents listing six companies owned by Upadhyay, one of which was NCNL Infomedia Pvt Ltd (one of the firms said to have done the maximum business with discoms).
“This company installs and replaces meters for BSES. BJP vice-president Ashish Sood has been a director of this company,” he said. (Incidentally, Sood is general secretary of Delhi BJP).
“Why have people who’ve been supplying meters to the discoms been made president and vice-president of Delhi BJP? Is this not conflict of interest?” Kejriwal said, adding several consumers had complained of meters running too fast and inflated bills.
The AAP also wanted to know why the BJP had raised power tariffs in Delhi despite its poll promise of 30 per cent reduction, as also why the CAG audit into discoms initiated by the AAP government was put in cold storage.
Later, lashing out at Kejriwal, Updhayay dared him to prove his allegations within 24 hours, failing which he said he would file a case of criminal defamation.
Referring to Kejriwal as a “factory of lies,” Upadhyay said of the six companies named by AAP, two (NCNL Transomedia and NCNL Power) are shown as untraceable.
“He should do his homework before making such allegations… You (media) can check the internet or with the Registrar of Companies. If these two companies are not found, he will have to leave politics. I give him 24 hours.”
Asked about their companies’ dealings with discoms, Sood said dealings with the Anil Ambani-led discom BSES had stopped since March 2012 as “business viability had ended”.
However, Kejriwal tweeted: “They r saying - No dealings wid BSES after 2012. But weren't all meters supplied before that only?”