AAP means ‘Aur Adhik Paap’: BJP on Arvind Kejriwal’s party ‘playing drama card’ as ED raids Sanjay Singh’s residence

The Bharatiya Janata Party, on Wednesday, took a swipe at Arivnd Kerjriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party and said “AAP means ‘Aur Adhik Paap’. The comments came amid the raids carried out by Enforcement Directorate at MP Sanjay Singh’s residence in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

In a video message on X, formerly Twitter, BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said: “AAP means ‘Aur Adhik Paap’ and the ‘paap’ (sin) of liquor scam is coming out day-by-day.”

“Today we are seeing that instead of giving a report card on liquor scam that has taken under the Arvind Kejriwal’s watch and patronage, they are playing the victimhood card,” the BJP spokesperson said.

“Mr Arvind Kejriwal had said that they (AAP members) are ‘Kattar Imandar’ (extremely honest) that they have done no corruption then why Manish Sisodia and Vijay Nair are still in jail? Why have they not been given relief?” asked Poonawalla.

He further said, “Today, when two approvers, one of them Dinesh Arora – a key architect and mastermind in the entire case (liquor scam) and he has allegedly also given a confession as to how Sanjay Singh is involved, how he was the one to introduce Manish Sisodia, how money was collected and funnelled into AAP’s election campaigns in Delhi and other parts.”

Poonwalla said there are other proofs, including digital, on how evidence were destroyed and fabricated. “There is now evidence that shows that 2.5 per cent commission was increased to 12 per cent. The sting operation came out as to how money was collected and extorted…”

AAP means Aur Adhik Paap

Instead of giving report card on Sharab Ghotala now AAP plays victim & drama card on Sanjay Singh now !

Why don’t they answer specific questions
1) Are the courts doing vendetta? Why have they not released “Kattar imandar” Manish Sisodia & Vijay Nair… pic.twitter.com/rXVSk4RwwV

— Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) October 4, 2023

"It is also evident that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had allowed blacklisted and manufacturing companies to come in and there no actions taken on them. All of this documentary, digital, and other evidence were put before a court and it has given the party no relief. Yet, the AAP plays victimhood card even today," the BJP spokesperson said.

"Arvind Kejriwal himself has acknowledged that there was corruption because they have gone from the new policy back to the old policy and even extending them. Instead of serving people of Delhi during COVID-19, Kejriwal and his team were setting up liquor shops in every wards of the national capital," he said.

ED raids at AAP's Sanjay Singh residence

On Wednesday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out searches at Sanjay Singh's residence in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. The raids were being conducted a day after a court allowed two accused in the case to turn approver.

The staff members of the Rajya Sabha MP from AAP and those linked to him were earlier questioned by the ED in this case.

It is alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP.

A Delhi court, on Tuesday, allowed Raghav Magunta, son of YSR Congress Party Lok Sabha MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, and Delhi-based businessman Dinesh Arora to turn approver in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

Special Judge M K Nagpal pardoned both Magunta and Arora, while directing them to cooperate with the investigation and disclose all information they have about the case to the investigators.

In May, this year, Singh wrote to Finance Secretary T V Somanathan stating that the ED Director and Assistant Director deliberately linked his name to the alleged liquor scam without any basis, tarnishing his public image and defaming him. He also mentioned that his name was added on the basis of statements from Dinesh Arora.

With inputs from PTI