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India's Delhi youngest minister sacked over sex scandal

Xinhua, September 1, 2016 Adjust font size:

Chief Minister in India's Delhi territory Arvind Kejriwal has sacked Women and Child Development Minister Sandeep Kumar over a sex scandal.

Kejriwal removed the youngest minister in his anti-corruption Aam Aadmi Party's government late Wednesday evening after a video allegedly showing the 34-year-old minister in "a compromising position with two women" emerged.

Copies of a CD, containing the nine-minute video and some photographs, were also leaked to many Indian TV channels. The same was sent to the Delhi chief minister's official residence, prompting him to act immediately.

Justifying the decision, Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said: "Ours is a party of ideals. It has a zero tolerance policy towards corruption, scandals. Action will be taken swiftly against any member irrespective of status or position."

Kumar has, however, brushed aside the allegations as "political conspiracy."

"I am facing these allegations because I am a Dalit (lower caste)," he told the media in the national capital Thursday.

He is the third minister sacked by Kejriwal since his government took office last year, after his party swept to power in assembly polls in February 2015, decimating the Congress party that was in power in Delhi for 15 years. Endit