In a recent development, SS Channy, a prominent leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Punjab, has openly criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for staging a one-day hunger strike at Jantar Mantar. The protest was organized in solidarity with their national convener and Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.
Channy labeled the AAP’s protest as “ridiculous,” citing that the matter is already under judicial scrutiny. He pointed out that both the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court are actively involved in the case, and the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, VK Saxena, has taken notice of it.
According to Channy, the Supreme Court has highlighted a money trail amounting to Rs 338 crore in the Delhi excise policy, indicating ongoing investigations. He emphasized that Kejriwal has not been granted bail, further alleging his involvement in escorting money for electoral purposes in Goa.
Moreover, Channy criticized the AAP for allegedly placing Kejriwal’s picture alongside historical figures like Bhagat Singh and Baba Saheb Ambedkar, accusing the Delhi CM of corruption. He condemned this action as misleading and inappropriate.
Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) marks a significant event in independent India, as he is the first serving Chief Minister to face such charges. The arrest stemmed from his repeated failure to comply with summonses issued by the investigation agency, deeming them “illegal.”
The case revolves around alleged irregularities and money laundering linked to the framing and implementation of the Delhi excise policy 2022, which was later scrapped. While Kejriwal was not initially named in the FIRs filed by the ED or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), his involvement surfaced during the investigation.
The ED’s chargesheet claimed that Kejriwal engaged in a video call with one of the main accused, Sameer Mahendru, instructing him to continue collaborating with co-accused Vijay Nair, who serves as the AAP communications-in-charge. Nair was among the first to be arrested in 2022, followed by former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh.
In a separate development, the Supreme Court granted bail to AAP MP Sanjay Singh on April 2. Singh had been arrested on October 4, 2023, in connection with a money laundering case related to the now-defunct Delhi excise policy.
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