Congress slams government for frequent foreign trips

On Monday, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief spokesperson Sharmistha Mukherjee lashed out at the Aam Aadmi Party ministers and party functionaries, including chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and health minister Satyendra Jain for squandering crores of rupees of public money for their foreign jaunts when Delhi was reeling under vector-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya.

She said in the last 18 months, the AAP government ministers have made 10 foreign trips, with Mr Sisodia alone making six foreign trips to lead the list — i.e one foreign trip in every three months. She said the Congress party strongly condemns the reckless spending of public money by the AAP ministers.

Addressing a press conference, Ms Mukherjee said according to information accessed by the Delhi Congress about the AAP minister’s foreign trips and expenses, many expenses have been left unexplained.

The spokesperson also added that when the Aam Aadmi Party was formed, Mr Kejriwal and his candidates had given an affidavit that they would eschew the VIP culture and remain as “Aam Aadmi,” but after capturing power, they have done exactly the opposite, as the AAP ministers and other functionaries have vied with one another for getting government bungalows and cars, to foster the VIP culture. She said the AAP ministers spent four to five days abroad for just attending a one-day programme, and their foreign travels have cost crores rupees to the exchequer.

Ms Mukherjee said, “Manish Sisodia travelled abroad six times in the past 18 months, and he has incurred an expenditure of Rs 30,73,450 for just three foreign trips — i.e. Rs10 lakh per trip. His expenditure for travels to Athens and Finland has not been furnished, and only partial expenditure has been given for his trip to Sao Paolo.” She said Mr Sisodia went to Sao Paolo to attend a one-day conference, but spent two days in Rio before the conference and had taken a two-day break after the conference to visit Igiazu falls and Argentina. The Congress leader said that health minister Satyendra Jain made the maximum number of foreign trips.