New Delhi, India (May 23, 2014): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has declared to will launch a public awareness campaign “to remind the people about the involvement of former BJP President Nitin Gadkari in mega land scams and his attempts to provide favours to private companies in Maharashtra”.
“The AAP will not allow any political leader involved in corruption to escape public scrutiny and the party stands solidly behind the principled stand taken by its convenor Arvind Kejriwal in the fight against corruption”, reads a statement posted by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on it’s official Facebook page.
The statement reads that tarty leaders met Kejriwal at the Tihar Jail on Thursday and he appealed to volunteers and sympathisers to maintain peace and calm.
The Aam Aadmi Party has reiterated the views of Arvind Kejriwal about Gadkari’s involvement in large scale corruption scams.
“Gadkari’s involvement in corruption scams is a test case for the new government to be led by the new Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi, who is to assume office on Monday. It remains to be seen whether Mr Modi who has promised to fight corruption and criminalisation of politics, will keep his word or will he include leaders like Mr Gadkari and Mr BS Yeddyurappa in his council of ministers?”, reads the statement.
“Mr Gadkari had remained largely silent except for muted denials in 2012 when the AAP had exposed personal favours given to him by the Congress/NCP government of Maharashtra. Mr Gadkari had managed around 100 acres of agricultural land in his possession by bending rules with the state government’s help. This land was to be returned to farmers but this was not done. The AAP had also exposed Mr Gadkari’s interest in sugar, ethanol and other businesses and the benami companies owned by his Purti Group” it reads further.
According to the statement [i]t was only when earlier this year the AAP made an announcement that it will put up candidates against corrupt leaders, including Mr Gadkari that he filed a complaint of criminal defamation against Kejriwal.
The AAP has maintained that it would not allow the genuine political discourse to be thwarted by threats of defamation.