AAP Alleges Rs 22,000 Crore Rice Scam in Delhi as BJP Minister Threatens Legal Action
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) clashed on Sunday, August 9, 2026, over alleged irregularities in the procurement and distribution of subsidised rice in Delhi. Opposition party AAP alleged a Rs 22,000-crore scam over a three-year period involving the BJP-led Delhi government, while Delhi Food and Supplies Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa threatened legal action if the allegations were not withdrawn.
Speaking at a news conference, an AAP functionary claimed that corrupt practices occurred in the government's procurement and sale of subsidised rice. According to the AAP, the Rekha Gupta-led Delhi government, along with an Assam-based corporation, submitted a request to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for subsidised rice intended for distribution among the poor in the national capital.
AAP functionaries stated that the request sought approximately 31,000 metric tonnes of rice per week. However, the party alleged that the grain never reached the intended beneficiaries in Delhi and was instead diverted and sold to a private company operating in Haryana.
Detailing the financial breakdown of the alleged scam, AAP stated that the rice was procured at approximately Rs 23.20 per kilogram. The party claimed it was subsequently resold in the open market at a rate of Rs 46 per kilogram, generating an unauthorized commission of Rs 23 per kilogram. AAP claimed this arrangement resulted in an alleged scam worth around Rs 143 crore every week, accumulating to Rs 22,000 crore over three years.
AAP leaders demanded a clarification from the Delhi government regarding the procurement and distribution of the rice, adding that supporting documents would be made public.
In response to the accusations, Delhi Food and Supplies Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa rejected the claims and threatened legal action against AAP leaders. Sirsa issued a 24-hour ultimatum demanding that AAP functionaries withdraw their allegations and issue a public apology, warning that failure to do so would result in court proceedings.
Taking to social media platform X, Sirsa criticized AAP for making what he termed baseless, false, fabricated, and malicious allegations intended to malign his reputation. Sirsa stated that enough was enough and warned the opposition leaders that they would meet in court if an apology was not tendered.
