NEW DELHI | Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chief National Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar has questioned the basis of the case against former minister Satyendar Jain, pointing out that he was already in jail when the tender at the centre of the alleged scam was issued. She revealed Satyendar Jain was jailed in May 2022, while the tender was issued in October 2022, and even the Investigating Officer has not accused him of taking any commission. She further pointed out that the ₹1,586 crore tender cited in the allegations was never issued, while the ₹1,971 crore tender actually issued in October has drawn no objection from the BJP.
Addressing a press conference, AAP’s Chief National Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar stated, “The Punjab elections are approaching, and the BJP’s agencies have once again become active. The BJP cannot compete with the Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal’s policies. They know that they have nothing to show when it comes to education and schools, so once again they have set their agencies after the Aam Aadmi Party. Even after 10 to 11 years, the BJP should have understood that Aam Aadmi Party leaders are not afraid of their agencies. Those who were afraid joined the BJP, and no one else is going to bow down. The BJP has now come up with another so-called scam, claiming that Satyendar Jain committed a scam.”
Explaining the timeline, she stated, “The BJP has kept Satyendar Jain in jail since May 2022 in a false and fabricated case. The BJP is misusing its agencies, and its allegations are extremely laughable. Satyendar Jain was jailed in May 2022, and now he is being accused of a scam in a tender that took place in October, when he was already in jail.”
“During today’s hearing in court, the Investigating Officer also admitted that there is no allegation against Satyendar Jain of taking money, kickbacks or commissions. His name is not even in the chargesheet submitted to the court, because the BJP had already put him in jail. Reading their FIR (First Information Report) makes it clear how public money is being wasted in the name of investigation,” she added.
Explaining the basis of the ₹1,586 crore figure, the AAP chief spokesperson continued, “The allegation is that before going to jail, Satyendar Jain had held meetings regarding a ₹1,586 crore tender. Arvind Kejriwal had set a target of cleaning the Yamuna within one year, for which the capacity of Sewage Treatment Plants that treat wastewater had to be increased. Discussions were held with engineers and experts from outside, during which an estimated amount of ₹1,586 crore was arrived at.”
“Before Satyendar Jain could even consider this amount or issue a tender, he was sent to jail. Now it is being alleged that ₹1,586 crore was too high and that there was an irregularity, even though no tender was ever issued for this amount. The actual tender was subsequently issued in October for ₹1,971 crore, which the BJP has no objection to. The BJP is saying that the ₹1,971 crore tender was fine, but that the ₹1,586 crore amount discussed by Satyendar Jain was wrong. This is how the BJP is making a mockery of the investigating agencies,” she pointed out.
Questioning the conduct of the agencies, Priyanka Kakkar asserted, “Investigating agencies later have to face reprimands from the courts. The court says that they have acted like a ‘parrot in a cage’ and like criminals, that they have no integrity, and then orders departmental inquiries against them. In this case, the First Information Report was registered on May 10, 2024, and Satyendar Jain was arrested in this FIR 27 months later. Satyendar Jain cooperated with the investigation every time he was summoned.”
She asserted that his remaining in jail benefits only the BJP because he is the Sah-Prabhari (Co-in-charge) of Punjab. Everything in this case is based on documents, and Satyendar Jain has not even signed those documents. There is no allegation against him of influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence. The Investigating Officer and the agencies have made no such allegation, yet he is being forcibly kept in jail.
Referring to Arvind Kejriwal’s post, Priyanka Kakkar said, “Arvind Kejriwal posted on ‘X’ this morning and explained how ACB officials are saying that they received a phone call from Amit Shah and were instructed not to arrest Satyendar Jain. This is a shameful state of the investigating agencies of this country. According to a report published this morning, in the medical equipment and medicine scam carried out under the Rekha Gupta Government, the Anti-Corruption Bureau told the High Court that important files had been burnt.”
She further said, “When it comes to investigating BJP leaders, files get burnt, and when drugs are seized, they say rats ate them. Meanwhile, Satyendar Jain is being accused merely of thinking about an amount, with the allegation that the amount was too high, even though no tender was issued for it. The BJP is making a mockery of the people in this manner and trying to divert attention from the main issues.”
Questioning the BJP’s political strategy, Priyanka Kakkar emphasised, “Does the BJP think that such tactics will make young people join them? People will not forget the allegations involving the suicides of 23 children and the ‘Chanda-Chori’ (theft of donations), in which Champat Rai’s name was removed from the FIR. It must be clear to the BJP that Aam Aadmi Party leaders are ‘kattar imaandar’ (staunchly honest). Satyendar Jain is one such hero who fought his own case today. Only an honest person who has done nothing wrong has the ability to fight his own case.”
The AAP spokesperson concluded by stating, “The BJP keeps repeating the same tired refrain of corruption only to defame Arvind Kejriwal and his policies, and ultimately our leaders are acquitted by the courts. The BJP should be asked what exactly Satyendar Jain did, because even its investigating agencies could not tell the court that today. The hearing on Satyendar Jain’s bail petition is on Thursday, and we have complete faith that he will get justice, if not today, then tomorrow.”
