DDCA row: Allegations 'baseless and devoid of truth', says Arun Jaitley in Lok Sabha
New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley dismissed opposition’s charges against him in the alleged DDCA scam as ‘baseless’, in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
“All these allegations are baseless and devoid of truth. Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) has accepted the expenditure by DDCA on building new stadium and found nothing wrong,” Jaitley said while members of the opposition sloganeered in the house against him, demanding his resignation.
"In 114 crore, a stadium of 42,000 capacity was made. When Congress was in power JLN stadium was renovated for 900 crore," Jailtey added as he reitereated the allegations against him were false.
BJP MP Kirti Azad who had alleged there was rampant corruption in the DDCA, spoke soon after Jaitley and demanded SIT probe into the issue.
“Instead of disrupting proceedings, Congress should instead demand a time-bound, SIT-monitored probe,” Azad said.
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Earlier in the Rajya Sabha, the government categorically ruled out the resignation of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over allegations of corruption in Delhi cricket body DDCA which he headed till 2013, as Congress member disrupted proceedings of Rajya Sabha.
"No one will resign," Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said as slogan-shouting Congress members demanded Jaitley's resignation.
No one will resign over "false charges" leveled against them, he asserted.
But Congress members continued to shout slogans, forcing two adjournments in the pre-noon session.
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Jaitley said he was ready to reply to all charges and urged the Chair to ask Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad to raise a discussion immediately.
"I am not going to live by any vague statements," Jaitley said, adding "if they have a single statement, let him (Azad) make it right now. I will answer it right now."
He was responding to Azad's statement that many big allegations including that of a Rs 150 crore fraud, 14 bogus companies being floated and conflict of interest at DDCA, have been in discussion for several days now.
Demanding a discussion, Azad said "he (Jaitley) can't remain on the position."
Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said there is a procedure for leveling allegations against a member of the House or a minister and a prior notice to the concerned has to be given.
He then went on to expunge all allegations against the Finance Minister.
But Congress members were unrelenting and continued to raise slogans. They held placards that read: "First Resign, Then Discussion" and "Caesar's Wife Should Be Above Suspicion."
"Why are you allowing all this noise. Ask him to start discussion right now. I will answer it right now," Jaitley said.
Kurien said the Leader of the House was ready for discussion and the Congress should give notice for discussion.
"Sir, do I assume that they have nothing to say except raise slogans," Jaitley remarked as Congress members continued to shout slogans.
The slogan shouting intensified after Naqvi ruled out resignation, forcing Kurien to adjourn the House.
