NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said that the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre is scared of losing the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the Enforcement Directorate’s raids at his party colleague Sanjay Singh’s residence is a proof of growing restlessness in the saffron party. The AAP national convenor claimed that even after “more than 1,000 raids,” the central agency has failed to find “a single paise” of illegally acquired money in connection with the alleged corruption allegations against the Delhi government.
Talking to reporters, Kejriwal said, “…Nothing will be found at his residence. 2024 elections are coming and they know that they will lose. These are desperate attempts by them. As elections near, all agencies like ED, CBI and will get active..”
#WATCH | Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Enforcement Directorate raid on AAP leader Sanjay Singh in liquor policy case
“…Nothing will be found at his residence. 2024 elections are coming and they know that they will lose. These are desperate attempts by them. As elections near,… pic.twitter.com/s3Uz5HS8MD
— ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2023
Kejriwal’s party also alleged that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is “targeting” their Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh as he raised issues related to the Adani Group in Parliament. The party said this in response to the ED raids on the premises of Singh in connection with the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case, officials said.
“Sanjay Singh kept on raising questions on the issue of Adani and this is why the raids are being conducted at his residence. The central agencies found nothing earlier and won’t find anything today either. First, they conducted raids at the residence of some journalists yesterday and today, raids were conducted at Sanjay Singh’s residence,” AAP spokesperson Reena Gupta said.
Sanjay Singh’s father Dinesh Singh said they are cooperating with the ED. “The ED is doing its job. I don’t know the exact time but around 7.30 am they came to conduct raids…I told ED officials they can conduct raids until late at night, we don’t want them to visit again and again,” he said.
The reactions from the AAP leaders came in the wake of ED raids at AAP MP Sanjay Singh’s residence in connection with the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case earlier this morning. It is alleged that the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation.
BJP protests against AAP govt in Delhi
On the other hand, Delhi BJP leaders and workers are holding a massive protest outside the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) office in the national capital demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after the Enforcement Directorate raids at the residence of its Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Wednesday.
Referring to the ED raids at the residence of Sanjay Singh, Delhi BJP leader Dushyant Gautam said, “They have done the work of fooling people. The excise policy scam worth crores was done at the residence of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. All discussions were done at his residence only.”
ED Raids At Sanjay Singh’s Residence
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at the residence of Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh’s residence in connection with the Excise policy case on Wednesday morning. According to reports, the ED raids are being conducted in connection with its ongoing probe into the Delhi Excise Policy case in which several AAP leaders are under scanner.
Sanjay Singh had earlier in May written a letter to Finance Secretary T V Somanathan in which he alleged that the ED Director and Assistant Director deliberately linked his name to the alleged liquor scam without any basis, tarnishing his public image and defaming him.
The AAP MP mentioned that his name was added on the basis of statements from Dinesh Arora. Making serious allegations, Singh alleged that the officers misused their position tarnished his public image and demanded prosecution against them.
He said he already sent a legal notice to the officers to issue an open and public apology. According to ED sources, the name of the AAP leader appears four times in the ED charge sheet out of which one reference was wrong and typed inadvertently.
It may be noted that two senior AAP leaders – former Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain and former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia – are already lodged in prison and facing trials in cases related to financial irregularities.
Importantly, the Supreme Court is also due to hear the bail plea of AAP leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in a matter connected with the excise policy case. On Tuesday, a Delhi court allowed Raghav Magunta, son of YSR Congress Party Lok Sabha MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, and Delhi-based businessman Dinesh Arora to turn approver in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.
Special Judge M K Nagpal pardoned both Magunta and Arora while directing them to cooperate with the investigation and disclose all information they have about the case to the investigators.
It is alleged that the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP.
