Delhi Minister Dismisses AAP's Corruption Allegations as 'Baseless', Calls Party 'Rattled'

Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Wednesday dismissed as “baseless” the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) allegations of irregularities in welfare schemes run by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. He said the AAP has been rattled by the launch of several welfare initiatives.

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Sood accused the AAP of fabricating figures and evading legislative discussions. He said the party's changing corruption claims — ranging from ₹90 crore to percentages like 75%, 70%, and 43% — revealed its political desperation.

His remarks came amid ongoing allegations by the AAP of scams in the BJP government's procurement of medicines, rice, and bicycles. On Wednesday, AAP leaders continued to attack the government over the alleged irregularities in the purchase of bicycles for the 'Vidya Vahini Yojana', under which bicycles are distributed to girl students in Delhi government schools.

Mr. Sood defended the bicycle procurement process, stating that it was executed with “complete transparency” through the government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal. He also highlighted that the Delhi Assembly had recently passed a bill extending the cut-off date for slum dwellers eligible for rehabilitation from January 1, 2006, to January 1, 2025. The minister said this move allowed lakhs of additional slum dwellers to become eligible, contrary to AAP's narrative that the BJP would demolish slums.

Taking aim at Leader of Opposition Atishi, Mr. Sood criticised her for not attending the monsoon session of the Assembly. He said the AAP had failed in its duty as an opposition, even avoiding discussions on the North-East Delhi riots conviction. “Our government operates with zero tolerance for corruption and remains dedicated to serving the citizens of Delhi,” he said.

However, AAP leaders have rejected the minister's claims. AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha said the government purchased bicycles at ₹6,957 each, while the same model was available in the market for ₹4,200. He demanded action from Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and threatened to file complaints with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the bicycles supplied under the Skyler brand were not genuine. He claimed the original model should have seven gears, suspension, and disc brakes, but the delivered bicycles lacked these features and carried a “fake Skyler sticker”.

The government has procured 1.4 lakh bicycles for distribution to class 9 girl students under the 'Vidya Vahini Yojana'. The BJP government, which came to power in Delhi earlier this year, has said it implemented over 157 major policy interventions in just 16–17 months.

This exchange highlights the intense political rivalry between the AAP and the BJP in Delhi, with both parties trading accusations over governance and transparency. While the BJP asserts its welfare schemes are reaching beneficiaries without corruption, the AAP continues to question the procurement processes and demand thorough investigations.