MCD has reached heights of corruption: Ex-Mayor Iqbal

New Delhi, June 20

The Leader of Opposition in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and former Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh has made grave accusations against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, alleging a surge in corruption cases since their assumption of power.

AAP leaders are allegedly roaming every ward, demanding exorbitant sums under the guise of fines for building lintels or conducting minor household repairs. The failure to comply results in threats of demolition, sealing of property. — Raja Iqbal Singh, MCD, Leader of Opposition

Pointing fingers at AAP leaders and councillors, he accused them of fostering a culture of extortion and malpractice within the corporation.

Addressing the media, Singh stated, “Ever since the AAP government took charge, corruption has reached its zenith in the Municipal Corporation. Numerous instances of graft have surfaced, with employees caught red-handed by agencies like the CBI and ACB. This indicates systemic corruption under the mayor Shelly Oberoi and AAP’s state leadership, extorting money from ordinary citizens across various wards.”

Singh highlighted a recent case where the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) apprehended junior engineer Gaurav Garg and Beldar Sudarshan for accepting bribes related to construction permits in Shahdara North Zone. “This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Singh asserted. “AAP leaders are allegedly roaming every ward, demanding exorbitant sums under the guise of fines for building lintels or conducting minor household repairs. The failure to comply results in threats of demolition and property sealing.”

Citing the irony of AAP’s origins in an anti-corruption movement, Singh criticised the party’s governance across multiple departments. “From liquor licences to public transport and water distribution, corruption has seeped into every department of Delhi’s administration. Even the corporation’s sanitation operations were not spared,” he added.

Singh also accused Oberoi of turning a blind eye to these issues. “The lack of action from the Mayor suggests complicity in these corrupt practices,” he claimed. “Such silence only emboldens perpetrators and undermines public trust in the institution.”