AAP to pay Rs 97 cr for 'political' ads: Delhi L-G VK Saxena

New Delhi, December 20

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Tuesday directed the Chief Secretary to recover Rs 97 crore from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for “political” advertisements published in the “guise” of government advertisements.

The L-G also said all advertisements since September 2016 be referred to the Committee on Content Regulation in Government Advertising.

Following the orders, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Government and the L-G are once again at loggerheads. AAP said the L-G had no power to pass such orders.

Calling the L-G’s order a “love letter” and diktat, AAP chief spokesperson and MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj questioned his (LG’s) intentions behind such a “frivolous” order. He alleged that the BJP was behind the whole controversy in an attempt to divert the attention of the people from the “failures” of the Central Government.

He said, “BJP-ruled state governments spent Rs 22,000 crore on ads… when will the BJP return Rs 22,000 crore to exchequer. The L-G is passing illegal orders without any jurisdiction, his diktat has no value in the eyes of law.”