'Apologise Or Meet In Court': Sirsa Threatens Legal Action Against AAP Leaders Over Rice Scam Allegation

Delhi minister and BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Sunday threatened to take legal action against AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj and Sanjeev Jha over their allegations of a Rs 22,000-crore scam involving subsidised rice meant for poor beneficiaries in the capital.

Sirsa gave the two AAP leaders 24 hours to withdraw their allegations and issue a public apology, calling the claims "false and malicious".

The warning came after Bharadwaj accused the BJP-led Delhi government of being involved in an alleged arrangement under which subsidised rice procured for Delhi’s poor was diverted to a private company in Haryana. He also linked an Assam-based corporation to the alleged transactions.

Sirsa Gives 24-Hour Ultimatum

Responding to the allegations in a post on X, Sirsa said he would initiate legal proceedings if Bharadwaj and Jha did not retract their statements.

“I give both Saurabh Bharadwaj and Sanjeev Jha 24 hours to withdraw these false allegations and issue a public apology, failing which I shall be constrained to initiate appropriate legal proceedings against both of them and hold them accountable for these malicious acts.”

“Apology or will meet in court,” Sirsa said.

He alleged that the accusations were “clearly intended to defame and malign” him.

“Such a malicious campaign appears to be their modus operandi. But enough is enough,” he added.

What Has AAP Alleged?

Earlier, Bharadwaj alleged at a press conference that the Rekha Gupta government and a corporation based in Assam had approached the Food Corporation of India for subsidised rice intended for poor and needy residents of Delhi.

According to Bharadwaj, the arrangement involved around 31,000 metric tonnes of rice every week.

He claimed that the grain did not reach the intended beneficiaries and was instead sold to an unnamed private company in Haryana.

“The rice, obtained at around ₹23.20 per kg, was allegedly being sold in the open market for ₹46 per kg, resulting in a commission of ₹23 per kg, amounting to around ₹143 crore scam every week,” Bharadwaj alleged.

Bharadwaj further claimed that the alleged arrangement was planned for three years and estimated the total value of transactions at around Rs 22,000 crore.

The figure, therefore, forms part of AAP’s allegation and is based on Bharadwaj’s calculation of the purported weekly transactions rather than an officially established loss.

AAP Says Documents Will Be Released

Bharadwaj and Jha have said they will make documents related to the alleged arrangement public.

The AAP leaders have also sought an explanation from the Delhi government over how the subsidised rice was procured and where it was ultimately distributed.

Sirsa, however, has rejected the allegations and has now threatened court action if the two leaders fail to withdraw their claims within the 24-hour deadline.