‘Apologise or meet in court’: Sirsa warns AAP leaders over rice scam allegation, gives 24-hour ultimatum

Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj and Sanjeev Jha, demanding they retract their accusations of a ₹22,000 crore rice scam. Sirsa vowed to initiate legal proceedings if they fail to comply, accusing them of making false and malicious allegations intended to defame him.

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I give both Saurabh Bharadwaj and Sanjeev Jha 24 hours to withdraw these false allegations and issue a public apology, failing which I shall be constrained to initiate appropriate legal proceedings against both of them and hold them accountable for these malicious acts.

The controversy erupted when Bharadwaj alleged a significant scam involving the diversion of subsidized rice, originally intended for Delhi's poor. He claimed that a Delhi government department, an Assam-based corporation, and a private firm, all allegedly linked to the BJP, were involved in the diversion.

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Apology or will meet in court.

Bharadwaj detailed how the rice, procured at approximately ₹23.20 per kg, was allegedly sold in the open market for ₹46 per kg. This operation, he claimed, generated a weekly commission of ₹23 per kg, amounting to a scam of around ₹143 crore each week. The AAP leaders stated they would release documents supporting their claims and demanded an explanation from the Delhi government regarding the procurement and distribution of the subsidized rice.

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Such a malicious campaign appears to be their modus operandi. But enough is enough.

Sirsa dismissed the allegations as a "malicious campaign" and part of the AAP's "modus operandi." He asserted that "enough is enough" and insisted on an "apology or meet in court."

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The rice, obtained at around ₹23.20 per kg, was allegedly being sold in the open market for ₹46 per kg, resulting in a commission of ₹23 per kg, amounting to around ₹143 crore scam every week.