New Delhi, May 23: Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sarin on Wednesday recommended to President Pranab Mukherjee that Sheila Dikshit be cautioned and advised to reimburse Rs 11 crore spent on the advertisements for misusing public funds in government advertisement during 2008 Assembly election. Justice Sarin recommended that Sheila Dikshit reimburse half the cost spent on it.
The order came after an inquiry conducted on a complaint filed by former Delhi BJP president Vijendra Gupta. The BJP leader alleged that Sheila Dikshit abused her position by misusing public funds for a political campaign in the 2008 Assembly elections.
The advocate of Virendra Gupta, H S Phoolka said, “This is for the first time that a lokayukta in India has recommended action against a CM for misuse of public exchequer for a political campaign through government advertisements.”
Sarin said in his recommendation, “To advise the respondent to reimburse either herself or through her party, being beneficiaries, a sum of Rs 11 crore… or such other sum as the Hon’ble President finds adequate as having been incurred for advancing self and political party purposes from public funds.” According to Justice Sarin, an article disclosed the strategy devised by Sheila Dikshit which was published in the Rashtriya Sahara newspaper on June 29, 2009.
Bureau Report
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