NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) asserted on Tuesday that a significant portion of cases filed by central investigative agencies, such as the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED), target opposition leaders.
The party made thia claim as the ED conducted raids at the premises of MLA Amanatullah Khan in Delhi as part of a money-laundering investigation, even though he had been granted bail in the same case last year. Khan, 49-year-old, represents the Okhla constituency in the Delhi Assembly.
During a press conference, AAP leader Raghav Chadha alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was apprehensive about the INDIA alliance, and he stated, "I would like to say that agencies are silent in BJP-ruled states, while in non-BJP states, they are aggressive. Nearly 95 percent of cases registered by the CBI and ED are against opposition leaders affiliated with the INDIA alliance. Since the formation of the INDIA alliance, leaders from parties like Congress, Shiv Sena, Trinamool Congress, and others have been targeted. This indicates the fear of the alliance."
Chadha claimed that the BJP had a "special fondness" for AAP, citing the arrests of AAP leaders Satyendar Jain, Manish Sisodia, and Sanjay Singh in false cases where no evidence of ill-gotten wealth was found.
Regarding the ED raid on MLA Amanatullah Khan's residence, Chadha mentioned that Khan had been granted bail in the same case in September last year after being arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), and the court had criticized the ACB's actions.
Furthermore, Chadha approached the Delhi High Court on Tuesday to challenge a trial court's decision that vacated an interim order preventing the Rajya Sabha secretariat from evicting him from the government bungalow allocated to him. The court agreed to list the plea for an urgent hearing on Wednesday.
Chadha expressed his determination to continue fighting for his Rajya Sabha membership and government residence, denouncing what he perceived as BJP's tyranny. He emphasized that he would not be silenced and likened himself to a disciple of Bhagat Singh.
(With agency inputs)
