Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj.
Credit: PTI File Photo
New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday questioned Lt Governor V K Saxena why an officer previously "suspended" for allegedly taking bribe was appointed as administrator of Asha Kiran shelter home where 14 inmates died in July.
At a press conference, senior AAP leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that administrator of the shelter home Rahul Agarwal was arrested by the CBI in 2016 for taking "bribe" and remained suspended for five years.
"I want to know on what ground the L-G appointed Rahul Agarwal as administrator of the shelter home where various irregularities and shortcomings have been reported after extraordinarily large number of deaths of intellectually changed persons," he said.
He also asked the L-G why no action was taken so far against the shelter home administrator and the social welfare department secretary in the matter.
The AAP leader said that the power of transfer and posting of officers was welded by the L-G through the Services department and the responsibility lies with him.
He also claimed that no action was taken against any officer of MCD or DDA in other cases of deaths in Old Rajinder Nagar and East Delhi. He further questioned why no action was taken against the chief secretary for not furnishing report of third party audit of desilting of drains.
AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak, while addressing a press conference, said there cannot be a bigger blot for any society than this.
"We got information around two to three days ago that 14 people have died there because they were not given proper water, food, and medical facilities," he alleged.
He also claimed that Aggarwal was arrested earlier by the CBI in a corruption case.
"Questions arise here that after knowing this, why the L-G has given Agarwal the charge of the shelter home. It has been two days, why no action has been taken against these people. The vigilance report on Agarwal should also be made public," Pathak demanded.
The Delhi government on Friday ordered a magisterial probe into the death of 14 inmates of Asha Kiran shelter home in Rohini last month.
The Lt Governor has also directed and investigation into the running of Delhi government's shelter homes, including deaths at Asha Kiran. He termed the deaths "an act of criminality against the most disadvantaged".