Kejri fires minister for demanding ‘bribe’

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 9

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal today sacked his colleague, Environment and Food and Supplies Minister Asim Ahmed Khan, for allegedly demanding a Rs 6-lakh bribe from a builder. The city government has referred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The move came within 24 hours of the complaint lodged with the government.

Announcing this at a press conference, where he played an audio tape of a conversation purportedly involving the builder, Khan and a middleman, Kejriwal said he won’t tolerate corruption.

In the audio, Khan was heard demanding bribe of Rs 6 lakh from a builder for allowing construction of a building in his constituency Matia Mahal.

The AAP chief also dared the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre to oust Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia, both embroiled in graft controversies. “We received a complaint on Thursday night, assessed it and decided to remove Khan from the Cabinet,” Kejriwal said, adding that the action was taken suo motu after examining the hour-long audio clip.

Sending out a clear message that there will be no compromise on corruption, the Delhi CM asserted, “We will not spare anyone be it minister, MLA or officer. Give us evidence and we will remove the culprit the moment the charges are brought to our notice.”

Khan is the second minister to bow out of the AAP government in disgrace. Then law minister Jitender Singh Tomar resigned under pressure in June after being arrested for allegedly faking his educational degree.

“If we can remove our minister, then we can take action against anyone,” Kejriwal said. Ballimaran MLA Imran Hussain will replace Khan.