The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday searched the residential premises of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan in Delhi in connection with a money-laundering case.
Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the AAP claimed that 95% of cases filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED on politicians in the past few years are against politicians from Opposition parties.
Mr. Khan faces allegations with respect to the first information reports registered by the State Anti-Corruption Bureau and the CBI.
In November 2016, the CBI had booked Mr. Khan as a former Delhi Waqf Board chairman for alleged role in a recruitment scam in the Board. He was accused of recruiting over 35 persons, including the Board’s CEO, in violation of Section 24 of the Wakf Act and Delhi Wakf Rules.
It was also alleged that encroachers and tenants were allowed to occupy Waqf properties in Delhi in violation of the Waqf Properties Lease Rules, purportedly causing losses to the Board.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha said, “Since the INDIA alliance has been formed, raids and summons by these agencies are going on increasing. They are targeting the leaders of INDIA alliance and this shows their fear.”
Mr. Chadha said that in the same case in which the ED raided Mr. Khan on Tuesday, ACB had last year arrested Mr. Khan, but the court reprimanded the ACB and granted him bail. “Aam Aadmi Party is not afraid of attacks by agencies. We will continue to fight the battle of truth and religion,” he said.
The AAP also held a demonstration in Delhi against party MP Sanjay Singh’s “wrongful” arrest and “dictatorship” of Narendra Modi-led central government.
