AAP allegations of MCD waiving tax politically motivated: Goel

Union Minister Vijay Goel today said the AAP's allegations of MCD waiving tax on his 'haveli' are "politically motivated" and aimed at diverting people's attention from the "failures" of Arvind Kejriwal government.
He instead attacked the Kejriwal government over Lt Governor Anil Baijal ordering recovery of Rs 97 crore from AAP that was allegedly "splurged" on advertisements in violation of Supreme Court guidelines.
"The property tax exemption to our family heritage building was allowed by the Municipal Corporation after the approval of Shahjahanabad Development Authority chaired by Minister Manish Sisodia and the exemption is not restricted to my building, it is for all similar heritage buildings," Goel said at a press conference here.

The senior BJP leader further alleged that the AAP government having "failed" on every front in Delhi, now wants to "confuse" the citizens by raising "irrelevant issues".
Yesterday, Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia had alleged that last year, the North MCD changed norms to forgo house tax for a property belonging to Goel.
"Last year on August 24, the BJP Mayor of North MCD waived the residential house tax of a haveli owned by Union Minister Vijay Goel. This was done under Rule 177 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act (1957), which allows the Municipal bodies to waive any tax that the MCD decides does not need to be levied.

"If this rule can be used to provide direct benefit to union ministers of the BJP, then why can this rule not be applied to provide benefit to common citizens? This hypocrisy of the BJP is against the interests of the people," Sisodia had said.