BJP hoardings in Delhi call for Kejriwal's resignation amid ED raids on AAP MP Sanjay Singh
Hours after the ED conducted searches at Sanjay Singh's residence, AAP leaders said that the action was a result of his continuous questioning of Adani row.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) erected hoardings in Delhi's ITO area and at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s office on Wednesday, calling for chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and the party's supremo to “resign” amid the ongoing raids on AAP MP Sanjay Singh by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case.
News agency PTI shared the videos that prominently displayed the message: “The mastermind of the liquor scam, Kejriwal's friend, became a government witness. Kejriwal resign.” The BJP also announced plans for a 'mega protest' outside the AAP headquarters in the national capital.
After the ED began raids at Singh's residence, there has been a "BJP vs AAP" clash, with leaders from both parties accusing each other of corruption allegations. Hours after the raids started, AAP's official Twitter handle posted an image of the MP with a banner in the background that read, "Fakkad house mein ED ka swagath hai" (Welcome to Fakkad house, ED!). Meanwhile, BJP's Manjinder Singh Sirsa, told news agency ANI, “Sanjay Singh had a significant role in the liquor scam. This was the reason he always used to say that the ED would raid my house too. AAP is ending due to its corruption.”
Hours after the ED conducted searches at Sanjay Singh's residence, AAP leaders said that the action was a result of his continuous questioning of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani.
ED raid on Sanjay Singh
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out searches at the residence of AAP MP Sanjay Singh in connection with a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. This action came one day after a court allowed two individuals involved in the case to become approvers. The agency was also conducting searches at other locations connected to individuals linked to the case. Previously, ED has questioned staff members of the AAP's Rajya Sabha member and those associated with him in relation to this case.
In May, Sanjay Singh had written a letter to Finance Secretary T V Somanathan, claiming that the ED Director and Assistant Director had unjustly associated his name with the alleged liquor scam without any basis, damaging his public reputation and defaming him. He said that his name was included based on statements from Delhi-based businessman and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia's close aide, Dinesh Arora.
The AAP leader's name appeared four times in the ED charge sheet, with one of those references being incorrect and typed in error, news agency ANI reported citing ED sources.
Delhi liquor policy case
In the year 2021-22, the Delhi government introduced an excise policy with the aim of rejuvenating the city's struggling liquor industry. The policy sought to transition from a system based on sales volume to one reliant on a license fee for traders. It promised modernised, aesthetically improved liquor stores that would no longer feature the notorious metal grilles, ultimately providing customers with a better shopping experience. Additionally, the policy marked a departure from the past by introducing discounts and promotional offers for liquor purchases in Delhi.
However, this plan came to an abrupt halt when Delhi's lieutenant governor, Vinai Kumar Saxena, recommended an investigation into alleged irregularities within the system. As a result of this scrutiny, the policy was prematurely abandoned and replaced by the 2020-21 regime. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) contended that Saxena's predecessor had undermined the initiative with some last-minute alterations, leading to lower-than-anticipated revenues.