The national Capital on Thursday witnessed protests and counter-protests over the arrest of Rajya Sabha MP and AAP leader Sanjay Singh in connection with a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped excise policy.
AAP workers gathered at the BJP headquarters holding banners and clogging the entire stretch for hours, against the arrest, the Delhi BJP leaders flocked to Rajghat for a prayer meeting for the “liberation” of people from the “corrupt” AAP Government in the city.
AAP protesters raising slogans against the BJP, met with police barricades as they marched towards the BJP headquarters with banners, raising slogans against the party at helm at the Centre. Senior leaders Gopal Rai and Atishi Jarnail Singh, Priyanka Kakkar and Reena Gupta were among those present at the protest.
A scuffle broke out between AAP workers and the police after which some of them were detained. The entire area witnessed beefed up security with barricades set up at several points across the road that leads up to the grand BJP office. Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Dependra Pathak said they have made adequate arrangements to contain the protesters.
“We have made proper arrangements and there are enough police personnel. We do not want law and order to deteriorate at any cost. We have been constantly communicating with the cadre (of AAP),” he said.
Earlier, addressing a press conference, senior AAP leader and Delhi Cabinet minister Atishi claimed that over 500 officers of the ED and CBI conducted raids at various places linked to the AAP leaders in the last 15 months but “haven’t found a single evidence” against them.
“They raided Manish Sisodia’s residence, offices and several other places but they couldn’t find evidence of corruption of even a single penny. And now, Sanjay Singh has been targeted,” she said.
“The ED officers raided every inch of Sanjay Singh’s residence but couldn’t find anything. They arrested him because he constantly raised issues of Centre’s corruption,” she added.
Atishi further said if there is any evidence against their leader, the Centre “should make it public”. “I want to challenge the BJP that if they found any evidence against Sanjay Singh, they should make it public or they should quit politics.
“They can send their officers anywhere where Sanjay Singh visited and I can vouch that they will not find anything against him,” she claimed. She further charged that the Centre is “trying to silence” Sanjay Singh by arresting him.
“We all know that whenever someone raises their voice against the government, there will be attempts to silence them. Since they couldn’t silence him, they arrested him. The BJP should know that AAP is not going to get scared of their arrest threats,” she said.
Rai who was also present during the press conference said, “We went to Sanjay Singh’s residence and his family told us that the ED didn’t find anything against him, yet he was arrested. Until evening, the ED kept reiterating that it was just a part of the investigation process. But suddenly there were instructions from the higher authorities to arrest him.”
“The Centre is misusing ED and CBI by taking action against those who dare to speak up against rising inflation, poverty, and unemployment in the country. Even if the Central Government arrests all the leaders of the AAP, we won’t bow down. We’ve been raising our voice for the country, its constitution and democracy and will continue to do so,” he said. AAP leader and MLA Dilip Pandey called the ED and CBI “campaigners” roped in by the BJP ahead of the general election.
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that more opposition leaders will be “targeted and arrested” in the future. “BJP can understand that they will be defeated in the upcoming elections and hence, they are getting opposition leaders arrested. Many other opposition leaders will be arrested in future also,” Bharadwaj alleged.
While BJP MPs, MLAs along with other party leaders held a prayer meeting at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial Rajghat on Thursday for “liberation” of people from the “corrupt” AAP Government in the city.
After the prayer meeting, Bidhuri said that the entire party of Arvind Kejriwal is based on the foundation of corruption and now the pillars of this building have started falling one by one.
He said Manish Sisodia and now Sanjay Singh are under investigation in the liquor scam and very soon Arvind Kejriwal will also be under investigation. Bidhuri said that Kejriwal has now become synonymous with corruption, the fall of his government is certain soon.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the struggle for liberation of the people from “corrupt” Arvind Kejriwal government will continue, alleging that the chief minister was the “kingpin” of the alleged liquor scam in Delhi.
“Mahatma Gandhi used to say alcohol destroys both the body and the soul, Sachdeva said. “Kejriwal has not only destroyed the soul but also the entire Aam Aadmi Party,” he said, hitting out at the AAP National Convener and the Delhi Chief Minister.
BJP MP Harshvardhan said, “AAP leaders visited this place (Rajghat) a lot. However, we are now witnessing that they are the ones who are crushing the ethics of politics.”
BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh, said the “liquor scam was unearthed” with the “blessings of Gandhi…who always opposed alcohol”. “The day is not far when the mastermind of liquor policy Arvind Kejriwal will also go to jail,” he claimed.
Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala and MP Parvesh Verma also alleged during a press conference at the BJP’s national headquarters that Kejriwal is the “kingpin” behind the “scam” and his role will soon be investigated.
“Doesn’t Kejriwal have faith in the judiciary of the country that his party is protesting and spending such huge amount of money to save the corrupt?” Verma asked. He also claimed that Kejriwal has spent `60 crore on “big lawyers” to “save” Singh and Sisodia, both accused in the case. Kejriwal and his entire party are trying to defend Singh, who was caught in the “liquor scam”, the BJP leaders said.
“AAP leaders are nervous after Singh’s arrest and are saying absurd things. Arvind Kejriwal, who calls himself an IRS (Indian Revenue Service) officer, is the actual mastermind in the liquor scam and he is also going to be under investigation soon,” they said. Alleging that Kejriwal and his party always play the victim card, Verma said they are now saying that the BJP is scared because of the elections.
“These things will not help Kejriwal and the AAP when ED asks questions to Sanjay Singh,” he said.