The Aam Aadmi Party has sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe against Delhi Food and Civil Supplies Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa over an alleged rice allocation scam. The development comes as the CBI registered an FIR into alleged irregularities by the Food Corporation of India in allocating subsidised rice meant for poor labourers to the North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC).

AAP demands probe, Sirsa denies

Delhi Congress president Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that according to the CBI FIR, officials in the minister's department acted after discussing with the minister. "The CBI has now registered an FIR in what we were alleging for so many days. The FIR says that the NERAMAC clearly said that rice was supposed to be distributed among daily wage workers and the poor who don't have ration cards. Sirsa is the minister for food and supplies, and we want the CBI to investigate his role," Bharadwaj told a presser.

Background of the case

On August 31, the CBI registered an FIR into the alleged irregularities by the Food Corporation of India in allocating subsidised rice meant for poor labourers to the North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC), from where it was "diverted" to traders for a profit. "In a letter written by the NERAMAC, it was specifically mentioned that the rice was meant for daily wage labourers. It also shows that the food and supplies department did not just forward a letter to the FCI, but issued a proper no-objection certificate for subsidised rice to be distributed among the poor, which was later given to a Haryana-based businessman against a commission," Bharadwaj alleged.

Meeting with L-G

The delegation also met Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, seeking a probe by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and Vigilance Department into the alleged bicycle and health scams involving the ruling government. "Since the ACB and Vigilance fall under the LG's jurisdiction, he will have the matters we have raised fact-checked. If he finds anything wrong, he will have an FIR registered. That was our only request to him. We also informed the LG about the rice scam and demanded that BJP Minister Sirsa should also be investigated in the matter, because his name is also coming up in the case," he said.

Denial and legal notice

Last month, Sirsa had denied the allegations of AAP and threatened legal action against Bharadwaj. The minister gave the A leaders 24 hours to withdraw their allegations and issue a public apology, "or face legal proceedings".