Kejriwal removes Cabinet minister over ‘objectionable’ CD

New Delhi, August 31

In a sudden move, Delhi's Social Welfare Minister Sandeep Kumar was on Wednesday sacked by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after receiving an 'objectionable' CD in which he was purportedly shown in a compromising position with a woman.

The decision to remove the 36-year-old minister was taken at a high-level meeting attended by top AAP leaders and the announcement was made by Kejriwal himself through a tweet.

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"Received 'objectionable' CD of minister Sandeep Kr. AAP stands for propriety in public life. That can't be compromised. Removing him from Cabinet wid immediate effect," Kejriwal tweeted.

Recd "objectionable" CD of minister Sandeep Kr. AAP stands for propriety in public life. That can't be compromised(1/2)

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 31, 2016

Sources said the CD purportedly showed Kumar, also Women and Child Development Minister, in a compromising position with a woman.

"The CD came to us half-an-hour back. We saw the CD and took the decision to sack him immediately. AAP has zero tolerance for crime and corruption," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told reporters tonight.

Kumar represents Sultanpur Majra constituency. He is the second AAP minister to be sacked after Asim Ahmed Khan who was Minister for Food and Supplies.

Sources said the decision to sack Kumar was taken at a hurriedly convened meeting of AAP's Political Affairs Committee at Kejriwal's residence.

"We will not tolerate any such acts. We have 67 MLAs. If anyone including the Chief Minister is found involved in any wrongdoings, immediate action will be taken as AAP is different from other parties," said Sisodia.

On October 9 last year, Kejriwal had sacked the then Environment and Food Minister Asim Ahmed Khan for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 6 lakh from a builder and recommended a CBI probe into the case.

In June last year, then Law Minister Jitendra Singh Tomar had resigned after he was arrested on the charge of possessing fake degrees.

‘Resign Kejriwal’ chorus

Reacting to the development, Delhi BJP said Kejriwal must resign accepting moral responsibility for picking up the morally corrupt MLA in the Cabinet.

"He must be rewarded for handing over Delhi's governance to people with corrupt values. This has never happened in any government," said Delhi BJP leader Vijender Gupta.

DPCC president Ajay Maken, too, attacked the AAP saying three of the six Ministers who were initially inducted were caught for alleged "Fake degree, corruption, moral turpitude."

"But who chose them? Why aren't they expelled from Party," he asked in a tweet.

Another Congress leader Mukesh Sharma also hit out at AAP and sought the resignation of the Delhi Chief Minister.

“Prior to this other AAP ministers have also been removed, and now this scandal only shows, that it's the story of Ali Baba and forty thieves, as there are several others in AAP government, against whom cases are due," he alleged.

"This government is a corrupt and Arvind Kejriwal should immediately resign from his post on moral grounds," he said. — PTI