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Excise policy row | Former Delhi LG says charges against him ‘blatant lies, falsehoods’, slams Sisodia

Former Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal rejected as “baseless and motivated” charges levelled against him by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with alleged irregularities in the implementation of Excise Policy 2021-22.

In a hard-hitting statement, Baijal said Sisodia’s charges against him were an attempt by a “desperate man to save his own skin”.

Sisodia, who also holds the Excise portfolio in the Kejriwal government, had on last Saturday accused Baijal, who was then LG, of changing his stand on the excise policy and blocking liquor vends in non-conforming areas of Delhi by putting a condition. He had also said Baijal’s decision “benefitted” some licensees while causing “loss” of thousands of crores of rupees to the Delhi government.

“Mr. Sisodia is trying to find some alibi for his and his colleague’s acts of commission and omissions. The charges are nothing but blatant lies and falsehoods being perpetrated by a desperate man to save his own skin.” The former LG said in his statement he had flagged on several occasions “unlawful decisions” taken by the AAP government that had to be amended on files.

“In the matter of not allowing liquor vends in non-conforming areas, I had discharged by constitutional responsibility of upholding the law of the land,” he said. No law in Delhi even today allows for opening of liquor vends in non-conforming areas, he said.

The records will speak for themselves, Baijal said, dismissing claims of by the Delhi government and its excise minister. He said the truth will come out after investigation.

Current LG VK Saxena has already recommended a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Excise Policy 2021-22 and approved suspension of several Excise officials. The Delhi government has already rolled back the policy.