Delhi minister dismisses money laundering charge, BJP keeps up attack

New Delhi, Jan 7 (IANS) Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Friday dismissed allegations of money laundering against him as rumours to malign his image ahead of the Punjab elections even as the BJP on Friday dubbed the Arvind Kejriwal-led government as corrupt and non-performing.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also demanded Kejriwal speak on the issue.

The issue arose amid reports that the Income Tax Department issued a fresh notice to Jain in a money laundering case. In September last year, the department had issued him notice regarding his alleged role in three companies which were allegedly used for money laundering.

"There is no substance to these allegations. In 2013 when I joined politics, I resigned from all three companies in which I was the director," Jain told reporters here.

"From 2007 to 2012, my family and I invested around Rs 52 lakh in a few companies. I was a minor shareholder. In my income tax returns, I gave account of every single penny," he said, adding he declared all his investments to the Election Commission in his affidavits for 2013 and 2015 assembly elections.

"I can give account of only my money and not all the money (invested in those companies)," he said.

"When I appeared before the Income Tax department three months ago, I answered all their questions. The issue is being raised again now because of Punjab elections where the party has made me the star campaigner," Jain said, adding that the Aam Aadmi Party will not be intimidated by these tactics of the central government.

But the BJP did not buy the arguments.

"It now seems that this government is corrupt and non-performing. Nepotism and misrule are synonymous with this government and one after another their ministers are being caught for all bad reasons," party's Delhi chief Manoj Tiwari told IANS.

"One after another Kejriwal's Ministers have been accused of corruption and malpractice," Tiwari alleged.