AAP Protests Delhi Bicycle Procurement Scam Allegedly Worth ₹40 Crore

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged a protest outside the Delhi Secretariat on Monday, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Delhi government of an alleged ₹40 crore bicycle procurement scam. The party claimed that 1.3 lakh bicycles were purchased at inflated rates under a government scheme aimed at reducing school dropouts among Class IX girls. AAP leaders demanded the resignation of Delhi’s Education Minister, Ashish Sood, and called for an investigation into the procurement process.

The Delhi government’s free bicycle scheme, announced by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta during the annual budget presentation in March, allocated ₹90 crore to distribute bicycles to 1.3 lakh government schoolgirls. The scheme was launched on July 31, with the first distribution of bicycles to 3,000 students. However, the AAP alleged that the procurement process was manipulated to favor specific companies, leading to inflated costs.

Speaking to reporters, AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that bicycles bought in bulk were priced at ₹7,000 each, far exceeding the market rate of ₹4,000 per unit. He alleged that the government and contractors colluded to embezzle around ₹40 crore. Bharadwaj said the party had filed a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) but claimed no First Information Report (FIR) had been registered. He added that the party would meet Delhi’s Lieutenant-Governor on Tuesday to demand action in the case.

Responding to the allegations, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor dismissed the protest as a political tactic. He accused AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal of making baseless corruption allegations to deflect criticism over his party’s governance. Kapoor alleged that Kejriwal had wasted 11 years in power without addressing real issues, instead using such protests to avoid accountability.

The AAP’s allegations come amid ongoing scrutiny of procurement processes in Delhi’s government schemes. The party has consistently raised concerns over alleged financial irregularities in public spending, while the BJP has accused AAP of using such claims to divert attention from its own governance issues.

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