I'm shocked, it is a conspiracy against me: Asim Ahmed Khan

Hours after being sacked from the Delhi Cabinet, Arvind Kejriwal's minister Asim Ahmed Khan said that he was shocked and would give a statement only after gathering all information. "I'm shocked, let me gather all details, I will answer all questions on Saturday," Asim said. He added, "Conspiracy against me. I will answer all questions soon."

Claiming innocent, Khan, who held the Food and Supplies portfolio, said that the purported audio clip featuring his conversation with a builder may have been around "issues of business".

"There is a big conspiracy against me by the Opposition. I am businessman and the conversation, which I have not heard yet, may have been on issues of trade," he told reporters.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday summarily sacked the Environment and Food Minister for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 6 lakh from a builder and recommended a CBI probe.

Announcing the dismissal at a hastily called press conference, Kejriwal said the decision was taken as part of AAP's zero tolerance policy towards graft and dared BJP to sack Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia and Madhya Pradesh's Shivraj Singh Chouhan on corruption charges.

Kejriwal said Imran Hussain, a first time MLA from Ballimaran in Old Delhi, will be the new face in his Cabinet. Khan is the second Minister to get the boot in the last eight months. In June, the then Law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar had to resign over the fake degree row.

"The government will not tolerate corruption, be it by any MLA, Minister, official, Manish (Sisodia) or even by my son. If Manish commits corruption, I will take action, if I commit corruption Manish will take action against me. This is for the first time in the history that a Minister has been sacked taking suo motu cognizance of graft charges and BJP should also sack Vasundhara Raje and Shivraj Singh Chouhan for corruption charges against them," Kejriwal said.

Elaborating on the complaint against Khan, the Chief Minister said the government had received an audio on Khan demanding Rs 6 lakh from a builder to contiune construction of a building in his constituency of Matia Mahal.

"We received a complaint last night that a building was being built in his constituency. It's construction was stopped and money was demanded from the builder, who paid the amount. There was a mediator between the MLA and the Minister," the Chief Minister said.

Sources said the around one-hour-long audio clip containing purported telephonic conversation among Khan, the mediator and the builder over last one month, was given to Kejriwal by a senior AAP leader on Thursday. The AAP leader was approached by a complainant whose identity has not been revealed.

Kejriwal and Sisodia listened to the audio clip three-four times last night to ascertain its veracity and concluded that prima facie there was a strong case against Khan. He was summoned this morning and when confronted with the audio clip, Khan confessed to his wrongdoings, the source claimed.

The Chief Minister later held meeting with senior AAP leaders including Ashutosh, Kumar Vishwas. After the meeting, Kejriwal decided to remove Khan though some of the party leaders were of the view that his portfolios should be changed.

Reacting to the development, BJP and Congress said Kejriwal had no option but to remove the Minister as the allegations against the minister were in public domain for sometime,and demanded immediate appoinment of a Lokayukta.

The ruling AAP said Kejriwal had set a new benchmark in propriety and asked the Modi government and Chief Ministers of other states to follow his example.