After recently being handed high profile departments in Cabinet reshuffle, Delhi urban development minister Raj Kumar Chouhan is in fresh trouble after the Delhi Lokayukta, in a first-of-its-kind recommendation, on Thursday sought his removal from the council of ministers.
The Delhi unit of the BJP immediately called upon lieutenant-governor Tejendra Khanna and chief minister Sheila Dikshit to dismiss the minister following the recommendation of the Lokayukta.
Delhi Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sarin’s order has come in a case in which Mr Chouhan allegedly tried to influence senior officials from the VAT department in a bid to provide relief to a resort in a tax evasion case.
It has been learnt that the Lokayukta has recommended to the President “to withdraw her pleasure in allowing the minister to continue as a minister in the Delhi government”. Senior officials explained that under clause 5 of Article 239 (AA) of the Constitution of India and Section 12 of Delhi Lokayukta-Uplokayukta Act, 1995, the minister in question could be dropped. The Lokayukta has further called for prosecution of the minister under various sections of Delhi Value Added Tax Act, 2004. Mr Chouhan, however, played down the development, as he said that the Lokayukta order is only a recommendation. Mr Chouhan on Thursday shot off a letter to the lieutenant-governor, explaining his position vis-a-vis the allegations against him. He clarified that as a public representative he has to deal with a number of requests from the people seeking his help. The chief minister on the other hand said she was yet to go through the order.
Delhi BJP chief Vijendra Gupta in a statement stated that “during commercial raid on a south Delhi farmhouse, namely Tivoli Resorts, Mr Chauhan had told the then commercial tax commissioner Jalaj Srivastava on his mobile that he should immediately stop the raid on the farmhouse and leave with his team”.
“Mr Chouhan should be dismissed for his misconduct and for preventing the government officials in discharging their legal duty by using his influence. If he is not removed then the BJP will start movement for his removal,” said Mr Gupta.