‘Alcohol Affected Party’: Cong releases audio clip of AAP MLA exposing liquor scam

New Delhi, Jan 23 Coining a new term “Alcohol Affected Party” for the ruling party, the Delhi Congress on Thursday came out with an expose -- based on a purported audio clip of a sitting MLA -- on the alleged liquor scam in the national capital under the now-withdrawn excise policy.

Congress National Spokesman Pawan Khera shared an audio clip of a sitting AAP MLA in which the latter is purportedly heard opposing the controversial excise policy during a discussion with the then Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

In the purported conversation, AAP’s Narela MLA Sharad Chauhan is heard saying that he objected to the excise policy but Sisodia tells him that it was needed to generate party funds for fighting elections in Gujarat, Goa and Punjab.

“At present, the money for the Delhi election is coming from Punjab,” said Chauhan in the audio recording.

Hitting out at Sisodia, Khera said Delhi voters now do not want a “manager” of liquor scam to provide education to their children.

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President Devender Yadav said the party was the first to expose the liquor scam and file an FIR in the liquor scam that led to the arrest of AAP leaders and release on bail on stringent terms.

He said the Rs 2,000 crore liquor scam was a means for the AAP central leadership to offer money-making opportunities to all its close associates.

“The liquor scam has impacted the women the most as the youth and men have been pushed into addiction,” Yadav said, adding that at one stage the AAP government had started offering two free bottles of liquor on purchase of one bottle.

The actions of the AAP leaders do not match their promise of offering transparent governance, he said.

Yadav said the AAP’s policy of promoting liquor sales is now hitting Punjab where alcoholism has increased ever since the party came to power.

“The presence of an AAP government in Punjab has strengthened the roots of liquor lobby in Delhi as well,” he said.

The DPCC also launched a campaign song “Zarorat Hogi poori, Dilli mein Congress hai Zarori” with many party leaders shaking a leg on it.