NEW DELHI: Former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi responded to the CAG report tabled in the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday, claiming that the BJP-led government is merely reiterating AAP’s past statements regarding the losses incurred under the old excise policy.
Addressing a press conference soon after the report was presented, Atishi, now the Leader of the Opposition, alleged that liquor was illegally brought in from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh under the old excise policy, benefiting those in power in those states.
“The excise audit report covers the 2017-21 excise policy and includes one chapter on the new policy. The Delhi government had already exposed the flaws and corruption in the old policy. We all know who governs Haryana and UP, and who must have profited,” she stated.
Atishi asserted that the report validates AAP’s decision to scrap the old liquor policy, highlighting the losses it caused to Delhi’s revenue.
“This report confirms what we have always said—the people of Delhi suffered financial losses due to the old policy. It further reinforces that AAP took the right decision by discontinuing it,” she added.
Atishi also pointed out that the report reveals over 28% of liquor sales involved corruption, with illicit profits funneled into brokers’ pockets.
“Black marketing of liquor was rampant, and everyone knows which party’s people held these liquor contracts,” she claimed.
BJP Hits Back, Calls Liquor Policy a ‘Scam’
Meanwhile, the BJP launched a sharp attack on AAP over the alleged liquor scam, accusing the previous Delhi government of bypassing rules to engage in liquor brokerage.
At a press conference, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari slammed AAP, alleging that a lack of re-tendering led to revenue losses of ₹890 crore.
“The desire to profit from liquor brokerage was so strong that AAP ignored multiple rules. This is why Arvind Kejriwal tried to suppress the CAG report—because it exposes a major revenue loss for Delhi,” Tiwari claimed.
Tiwari further accused Kejriwal and his associates of manipulating commission rates for financial gain, stating:
“This is a new method of corruption that flourished under Arvind Kejriwal. He ensured that high commission rates benefited liquor sellers, ultimately allowing AAP to take a cut later. The ongoing investigation will reveal the full extent of this scam.”
CAG Report Highlights Major Revenue Loss
The CAG report, tabled by Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, is among 14 pending audit reports on the performance of the previous AAP government. It claims that the now-scrapped excise policy caused a cumulative revenue loss of ₹2,002.68 crore to the Delhi government.
The report alleges that the AAP government committed serious policy lapses, procedural violations, and ignored expert recommendations. It also specifically criticizes former excise minister Manish Sisodia, accusing him of disregarding key suggestions from an expert panel while formulating the policy.
With political tensions rising over the liquor policy controversy, both AAP and BJP are gearing up for an extended battle over governance, accountability, and corruption allegations.
