New Delhi, Jan 15 The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday blasted the Centre for granting permission to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to prosecute its National Convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, along with former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped excise policy.
The Union Home Ministry's approval allows the ED to proceed with its case against the two AAP leaders, removing the legal hurdles in framing charges.
This decision comes months after a Supreme Court ruling in November mandated prior sanctions for prosecuting public servants. The ED has alleged that Kejriwal was the mastermind behind irregularities in the 2021-22 liquor policy, which was later withdrawn amid controversy.
Reacting strongly to it, AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar questioned the basis of the arrests and slammed the BJP for alleged misuse of central agencies.
"For two years, Arvind Kejriwal and other leaders were in jail without permission to prosecute. What were they doing since 2020?" she asked, accusing the BJP of running a "smear campaign."
She further alleged that the BJP was resorting to its "old tactics" before elections, stating, "The BJP's drama is evident. The PMLA court found no proof against Kejriwal, and the Supreme Court called the CBI a 'caged parrot.' This shows the malicious intent behind these actions."
"The BJP makes false allegations, and there is always an effort to defame the Aam Aadmi Party. This time, the people of Delhi will teach a lesson to a vision-less, faceless party, which has no agenda, which does not have a Chief Minister face for Delhi," she told IANS.
"The public knows that Arvind Kejriwal is an honest leader, that is why, despite providing so many public welfare services, he presents a profit budget every year. All the states of BJP are running in losses, and many do not provide any public welfare service," she added.
Speaking to IANS, AAP MP Sandeep Pathak echoed similar sentiments, accusing the BJP of running out of ideas and using investigations as a pre-election strategy.
"They've seen surveys predicting AAP's win and are resorting to new tactics because they have no agenda or vision for Delhi," he said.
Meanwhile, Kejriwal and Sisodia, both out on bail, have denied all allegations and accused the BJP of political vendetta.
They continue campaigning for the February 5 Assembly elections, with Kejriwal filing his nomination from the New Delhi constituency.
The BJP has accused AAP of corruption, pointing to alleged bribes from the 'South Group,' a cartel reportedly benefiting from the liquor policy.
However, AAP leaders maintain that these claims are baseless and aimed at defaming the party ahead of the elections.
AAP, BJP, and Congress are locked in a high-stakes battle for the 70-member Delhi Assembly. The election results will be declared on February 8.
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