Delhi: AAP protests at Dwarka Expressway over irregularities flagged by CAG report

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The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday protested at the under-construction Dwarka Expressway after the Comptroller Auditor General of India reportedly flagged the huge cost escalation in the construction of the expressway.

Several party leaders and workers, including chief national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar and Reena Gupta, gathered near the Dwarka Expressway Highway, alleging the project to be a "scam".

"This is such a big scam that the road, for which an approval of Rs 18 crore per km was given, was built at a cost of Rs 251 crore," Kakkar told Press Trust of India.

According to media reports, the CAG audit report on the implementation of Phase-I of the 'Bharatmala Pariyojana' highway projects flagged how the National Highways Authority of India's (NHAI) decision to go for an elevated carriageway on the Haryana portion of the Dwarka Expressway pushed up the construction cost to Rs 251 crore per kilometre from Rs 18.2 crore per kilometre.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal had alleged that the Narendra Modi-led government has broken "all records of corruption".

However, the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways has rejected the charge, calling it "gross misrepresentation of facts".

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Meanwhile, the party's chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday said he was missing his former deputy Manish Sisodia on his birthday, who he said is in jail in a "false case".

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, he asked everyone to take a pledge to lay the foundation for a strong India.

"Today is my birthday. Many people are sending their wishes. Thank you so much!

But I miss Manish. He is in jail in a false case. Lets all take a pledge today - that we will do everything within our means to provide best quality education to every child born in India.

"That will lay the foundation for a strong India. That will help in realising our dream of making India no 1. That will also make Manish happy," the AAP leader added. (Agencies)