Delhi: ED raids premises of AAP minister Raaj Kumar Anand in money-laundering probe

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday (November 2) raided the premises of Delhi Cabinet Minister and AAP leader Raaj Kumar Anand as part of a money-laundering investigation, official sources said.

The premises of the minister in the Civil Lines area and a few other locations are being searched, they said. The ED search teams are escorted by a team of the CRPF.

Anand, 57, is the minister for social welfare and SC/ST welfare among others in the Arvind Kejriwal-led government. He is an MLA from Patel Nagar.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been summoned by the ED on Thursday (November 2) to answer questions related to the Delhi liquor policy case. It is not yet confirmed whether the investigation into Raaj Kumar Anand is in connection with the same case.

The former Delhi chief minister Manish Sisodia and AAP MP Sanjay Singh were also arrested in the same case.

BJP conspiracy to silence Opposition: AAP

Reacting to the ED raids, the AAP said, it was an attempt by the BJP to silence opposition leaders ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

In a video message, AAP leader and cabinet minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said even during the British reign, police would go to court to see permission for conducting raids.

"But today ED decides to conduct raids on its own. This is a conspiracy to silence the voices of opposition. This is how the BJP can win 2024 Lok Sabha polls because otherwise, it is decided that are not coming back after the polls," he said.

However, Delhi BJP secretary Harish Khurana said the ED action is as per law.

"We have been saying it for years that Kejriwal and his ministers are involved in scams. The ED action is going on as per law. It’s learnt that the raid is related to some hawala and customs related probe," he said.

The AAP has accused the central government of trying to destroy the party. Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Atishi have gone on record to condemn the BJP government at the centre for harassing members of the AAP with the CBI and ED.

Several constituents of the opposition INDIA alliance have also spoken out against the actions of these agencies and alleged that they are being misused by the Modi government at the centre.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha said that after Kejriwal, all the opposition leaders would be targeted and arrested before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

(With inputs from agencies)