Raids targeting people linked to AAP aimed to politically crush Kejriwal: Atishi

Delhi minister Atishi on Wednesday said the Enforcement Directorate (ED)’s raids at the premises of people linked to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) a day earlier were not aimed at search and seizure but part of attempts to politically crush chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. She added the ED did not specify the case under which the raids were conducted.
Atishi said the raids at the premises of Kejriwal’s private secretary Bibhav Kumar and Rajya Sabha member ND Gupta continued for 16 hours and 18 hours. “…the ED officers did not search the houses, did not go to any room, and conducted no inquiries with Kumar and Gupta.”
She added it may be the first time in ED’s history that even after 16-hour-long raids nothing in writing was provided about the case in which the investigation was carried out.
Atishi cited the document provided to Kumar and called it historical as it did not mention the case in which the raids were conducted. “Usually when the ED conducts raids, it prepares a search and seizure report mentioning the details…” She maintained ED officers sat in the drawing room during the raid at Kumar’s residence.
“They did not see any documents, did not inquire, did not prepare any search and seizure report. They only took the downloads of two Gmail accounts of [Kumar] and three phones…”
ED officials said the agency on Tuesday conducted raids at 12 locations in a case linked to the Delhi Jal Board. They said that they were investigating whether the AAP or some of its functionaries received kickbacks worth ₹21 crore in an illegal tender process. These funds may have allegedly been used to fund election campaigning.
Atishi said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi know that Kejriwal is the only leader who can challenge them. She added Kejriwal continuously raises his voice against them and is not afraid. “Now they have directed ED to put everyone around Kejriwal in jail. First, they decide who they want to put in jail and later they decide the case…”
Atishi said ED is a premier investigation agency supposed to check money laundering for narcotics sales and terrorism but was being used to finish political rivals and Kejriwal tops the list. “That is why Kejriwal, people close to him, and AAP leaders are being targeted in one after another.”
BJP leader Harish Khurana said if the AAP leaders are honest, why are they in jail and not getting bail? “The agencies present the facts in courts.”