DCW scam: Swati Maliwal backs Manish Sisodia, says FIR against him is baseless

Lashing out at the Anti-Corruption Bureau over its move to summon Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in connection with an alleged recruitment scam in the statutory body, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal today said the FIR is completely false and baseless. She added it is high time that all work united to tackle rising rape cases instead of taking potshots at each other.

"I just can't understand what is the role of Manish Sisodia in the appointments of Delhi Commission for Women. There is absolutely no role. All the appointments in the Delhi Commission for Women have been made by the Commission because it is an autonomous body and we have followed all due procedures," she said.

Maliwal said this entire case has been done in order to deter the Commission from functioning.

"And in order to give a message to all those people who are supporting the work of the Commission that if you will continue to support the work Commission then we will summon you. I think this is very very bad. Delhi right now needs positive politics," said Maliwal.

"We need to get everybody together in Delhi, the Centre, the state and all its agencies to fight one menace which is the rape of the 11-month-old girl which recently happened in the capital and the rapes which are happening again and again," she added.

Maliwal reiterated that she as well as the DCW would fully cooperate with the probe and dared the investigators to prove even a single charge against her in connection with this matter.

Sisodia, who was summoned by the ACB for questioning in connection with its probe into an alleged recruitment scam in the DCW, earlier today said some people are conspiring against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as they are extremely upset with the working of the Arvind Kejriwal-led government.

"We are working for the people of Delhi, but some people are not able to accept it. That is why they have left the ACB, the CBI everyone behind us. It is all right, we will answer them," Sisodia told the media here prior to appearing before the ACB.

Sisodia had reportedly written a letter demanding an autonomous status for the women's panel, but an issue cropped up since only the Chief Minister has the authority to write that letter to the Lieutenant Governor.

"Sisodia will also be grilled and we will ask him on whose authority did he send the letter," ACB chief MK Meena had said.

Stating it was found prima facie after an enquiry that there were confirmed irregularities in the appointments in DCW, Meena asserted that the panel does not have the authority to make such decisions, adding the AAP Government was not even implementing a transparent manner like advertising about the job vacancies.

"The complaint stated that these people have done the recruitment against the procedures and they do not have the authority to hire people in that manner. Besides that, they are giving out salaries on an arbitrary basis and on their own call. There are also some people, who got jobs because they were close to those within the panel," he said.

Emphasizing that this was complete misuse of authority and funds, the ACB chief said that a case has been filed against Maliwal under the Prevention of Corruption Act and various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The DCW is under the ACB scanner for arbitrarily appointing 85 people in the last one year.

--ANI

Also read: DCW scam: Deputy CM Manish Sisodia cries foul, says some people conspiring against AAP