AAP slams Modi govt over ED raids on Saurabh Bharadwaj

Stung by ED raids against party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday (August 26) launched a two-pronged attack on the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal said that his party would not get intimidated by the Modi government’s misuse of Central agencies, AAP leader and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that raids were conducted against Saurabh Bharadwaj to divert public attention from the issue of the Prime Minister’s academic degrees.

‘Modi govt targeting AAP’

Dubbing the ED raids against Saurabh Bharadwaj as “another case” of the Modi government “misusing agencies,” Kejriwal further alleged that the way the Modi government has targeted the AAP has never been done to any party before. He asserted that the Modi government would never be able to silence AAP’s voice.

"AAP is being targeted because it is the most vocal voice against the Modi government's wrong policies and corrupt deeds. The Modi government wants to suppress our voice. This will never happen,” stated Kejriwal in a post on X.

"AAP" is not one to be scared of these BJP raids. We will continue to raise our voice against wrong policies and corruption in the interest of the country, as always,” he added.

Also Read: ED raids AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj, others in Delhi health infrastructure projects probe

‘Ploy to divert attention on PM’s degree row’

Claiming that the whole country was discussing whether the Prime Minister’s degree was fake, Mann said that the ED raids on Saurabh Bharadwaj were aimed at diverting public attention from the controversy.

“The ED raid on Saurabh Bharadwaj on Tuesday was carried out because, since Monday, the entire country has been discussing whether Modi ji’s degree is fake. This raid was staged to divert attention,” said Mann.

"Remember, Satyendar Jain was kept in jail for three years, and later CBI and ED filed closure reports in court. This proves that all cases against AAP leaders are fabricated and false,” he added in a post on X in Punjabi.

Also Read: Kejriwal slams Amit Shah over new anti-graft bill, asks ‘Should PMs also resign?’

‘ED’s case has no merit’

Rubbishing ED’s charges against Saurabh Bharadwaj, Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Atishi stressed that the case cited by the ED has no merit. “This raid is completely fake because at the time when the hospital construction decisions were taken, Saurabh Bharadwaj was not even a minister. He became a minister two years later,” she said.

"This is like raiding PM Modi's house over the Colgate scam or the 2G scam. Or raiding Rekha Gupta for scams like Commonwealth Games or CNG fitness, which predates the Congress era,” she added.

Also Read: Kejriwal's arrest last year strengthened AAP's resolve to take on BJP, says Atishi

Atishi slams Delhi University

Taking potshots at the Delhi University, Atishi questioned why it was shying away from publicly displaying the Prime Minister’s academic record.

“What kind of university is this that does not take pride in the fact that the country’s Prime Minister studied there? The BJP itself says PM Modi is the world’s most successful leader, yet his own university is not proud to claim him,” she said.

"I believe there is no university in the world that would not be proud to say its former student is the Prime Minister of the country,” added the former Delhi Chief Minister.

Also Read: Delhi HC issues notice to Atishi, Sanjay Singh in defamation case

The backdrop

The ED investigation against Bharadwaj (45) stems from an FIR registered by Delhi's Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in June.

The ACB booked Bharadwaj, his party colleague and ex-health minister Satyendar Jain, private contractors and unknown government officials for alleged corruption in health infrastructure projects by the AAP government led by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

(With agency inputs)