NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Durgesh Pathak on Wednesday alleged that the former mayors of the three erstwhile civic bodies spent Rs 270 crore on their "personal luxuries" in the last five years, drawing a swift rebuttal from the BJP and demand for an apology.
The Delhi BJP termed the Rajinder Nagar MLA's charge "a false propaganda" and asked Pathak to either prove his allegation or apologise, failing which it warned of legal action against him.
"The BJP-ruled MCD's (erstwhile three civic bodies) mayors have been living a life of luxury on taxpayers' money. These mayors have spent Rs 270 crores on personal luxuries in five years...but when it comes to pay the salary of the employees, the BJP starts saying there is no fund," Pathak said at a press conference without naming any individual.
The former "BJP mayors" spent the money in buying cars for every member of the family, "be it their wife or children and for every purpose, be it shopping or going on a trip," the AAP MLA alleged and appealed to the people of Delhi to reject the saffron party in the Delhi Municipal Corporation elections, when held.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor rejected Pathak's charge and demanded that he either prove the allegation or tender an apology.
Pathak only plays "politics of lies" and he has once again tried to spread "a false propaganda", Kapoor alleged.
"We challenge Durgesh Pathak to prove if any of the BJP mayors or corporation councilors misused corporation funds. Apologise, else be ready to face legal action," the BJP spokesperson said in a statement.
Kapoor accused Pathak of levelling baseless allegations against the former mayors of the city with "political malice". "We can't stop him. But the people of Delhi want to know from Durgesh Pathak as to what he would say on the expenditure made on the construction of a swimming pool at the chief minister's (Arvind Kejriwal's) residence at a cost of Rs 10 crore," the BJP spokesperson hit back.
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