New Delhi, February 26
The very corruption — which had been the poll plank of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from Delhi to Punjab — seems to be turning into a nightmare for the party that is ruling in two states.
Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the closest aid of the party’s National Convener Arvind Kejriwal, was taken into custody, on Sunday, by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for alleged corruption in Delhi’s Excise Policy.
AAP, however, had all along been crying foul that it was Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on whose direction CBI has arrested Sisodia.
AAP has already termed Sisodia’s arrest as BJP’s belief in vendetta politics. AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said, “Allegations against Manish Sisodia are ridiculous. After conducting multiple raids in the last one year, the CBI has found not even a single penny from Sisodia.”
This is not the first case against an AAP leader. AAP’s Delhi minister, Satyendra Jain, also a close associate of Arvind Kejriwal, was arrested, last year, by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. He has been lodged in jail since May last. The opposition parties — time and again — have questioned AAP’s stand on corruption as Jain still holds Cabinet rank.
Similarly, Punjab AAP MLA Vijya Singla, who was earlier Punjab’s health minister, was arrested, last year, by the state’s Anti Corruption body. Interestingly, he still actively participates in party meetings and attends government functions in his area. In January, Punjab Horticulture Minister Fauja Singh Sarari had to resign from the Cabinet months after his name came up in a case of devising an extortion plan. In the recent incident, AAP MLA from Bathinda rural, Amit Rattan, was arrested over graft charges, this week.
Meanwhile, BJP, on Sunday, said, “One minister (Satyendra Jain) is already in jail. Now, Deputy Chief Minster is on his way to jail. Instead of replying to the allegations, AAP is trying to divert the issue. Kejriwal should clear his stand on corruption.”
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