Modi govt trying to paralyse Delhi CM's office: Sisodia

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday alleged Principal Secretary Rajendra Kumar's arrest by the CBI in an alleged corruption case clearly indicates that the ruling dispensation is trying to paralyse Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's office as they fear defeat at the hands of the AAP in the upcoming assembly polls.

Sisodia said the Centre has never stooped to such a low level in the last 23 years. "Yesterday, there was a successful rally of the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab. The situation in Goa is also set. The AAP will win Goa as well. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central Government is so scared that now they are hatching conspiracies to paralyse the Chief Minister's office," he told the media here.

Sisodia said that they received an order earlier today in which nine officers of the Delhi Government were transferred. "In two days, eleven officers of the Delhi Government have been transferred. Transfer, posting is not a new thing. But the way the government offices have been removed is a way to paralyse the government," he added.

Sisodia also questioned the timing of the arrest, saying a conspiracy is being hatched to destabilize the whole system. "See the timing. Yesterday a survey comes from Punjab that the AAP will get 100 seats out of 117. We are getting good response from Goa and Gujarat. They



(BJP) are taking revenge against this. They are not allowing us to work in Delhi," he said.

The CBI earlier on Monday arrested Rajendra Kumar and four others in connection with a corruption case. CBI sources said that Kumar has been charged with abusing his official position to award contracts to M/s Endeavour Systems Pvt. Ltd. and securing government tenders worth Rs. 9.5 crore between 2007 and 2014 for the company.

The CBI said that Kumar has been booked under Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The investigating agency said that the arrested official and four others would be produced before the Patiala House Court on Tuesday. According to CBI sources, Kumar has emerged as the kingpin of the 50 crore scam which first started activity in 2006.

Kumar had moved an appeal before a special court in March this year seeking the release of his laptop, iPad and cash seized by the CBI. A trial court had in April ordered the de-freezing of two bank accounts of M/s Endeavour Systems Pvt. Ltd.

The Delhi High Court had then stayed the trial court's order allowing for de-freezing of accounts of M/s Endeavour Systems Pvt Ltd. The CBI had in December last year raided Kumar's office at the Delhi Secretariat in connection with this case.