If AAP is accused after 15 months, no evidence against Sisodia, Singh: Atishi
AAP and BJP trade barbs as the ED now seeks legal opinion about making AAP an accused in the Delhi excise policy PMLA case
Delhi minister Atishi on Thursday (October 5) said if the Enforcement Directorate (ED), after 15 months of investigation in the Delhi excise policy case, makes the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) an accused, it proves they found no evidence against Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh.
"If after 15 months of investigation, the ED now moves to name AAP as an accused, it means only one thing. They don't have any evidence against either Manish Sisodia or Sanjay Singh," said the AAP leader.
The ED is said to be seeking legal opinion on whether the AAP can be named an accused under money-laundering charges relating to the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy.
This new development in the case is after the Supreme Court bench on Wednesday (October 4) asked the ED to explain why it had not named the political party as an accused in the case after claiming that it was the main beneficiary.
Manish Sisodia was arrested in February this year in connection with this ‘scam’, and AAP MP Sanjay Singh was arrested on Wednesday (October 4). The AAP has denied all allegations of corruption in connection with this case.
“This will only show their desperation to somehow further their lies. I challenge the BJP again to show evidence of even ₹1 against Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh. What did you find at Sanjay Singh's place? Did you find gold biscuits? Till now, they have not been able to place any evidence. And they won't in the coming days either,” Atishi continued in her attack against the BJP.
Documents will incriminate someone at the top in AAP: Sambit Patra
Hitting back at the AAP, the BJP claimed that the investigation would soon find guilty “someone at the top in the hierarchy of AAP”.
“It is the nature of the AAP to commit scams openly and do politics after getting caught. As per media sources, the incriminating documents procured from the house of Sanjay Singh will incriminate someone who is at the top in the hierarchy of AAP,” BJP’s national spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a press conference in Bhubaneswar.
Former Delhi BJP chief and Lok Sabha member Manoj Tiwari told reporters on Wednesday (October 4) that he had never seen such "criminals” holding political positions or offices in history.
"While Sanjay Singh has been arrested today, the spotlight will soon shift from Sanjay Singh and Manish Sisodia. I believe the ongoing probe will soon reach the threshold of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal," Tiwari said.
Vendetta politics, says AAP
The AAP has condemned Sanjay Singh’s arrest as vendetta politics, and said he was targeted for being one of the most aggressive voices of the opposition INDIA alliance.
“Are Manoj Tiwari and BJP running the ED and CBI? This proves that it's a conspiracy against us,” AAP spokesperson Reena Gupta said.
Another AAP leader Dilip Pandey said the ED arrested Sanjay Singh after it couldn't find anything in the day-long raid.
“People will give a befitting reply to BJP in upcoming elections,” he said.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak said the arrest was made "primarily because they (BJP) have found that it's very difficult to defeat Arvind Kejriwal".
“It has been 15 months, they have raided thousands of places but nothing has come out. In this case also, nothing will come out. They just want to break down the Aam Aadmi Party,” said Pathak.
(With agency inputs)
