Jailed Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal found himself in deeper trouble with the Apex Court not giving immediate relief on his petition challenging his arrest by the agency, and his cabinet colleague Raaj Kumar Anand quitting the party, citing rampant corruption in the government, writes Pawan Kumar Bansal
It seems that the ghost of much-publicised excise-policy of the Delhi Government is haunting not only Arvind Kejriwal but also his government and his party too. After the Delhi High Court had dismissed his petition challenging his arrest by ED, now the Supreme Court has also refused immediate relief on his petition challenging his arrest by the agency even as the Apex Court asked the ED to reply to the notice by 24th April.
Kejriwal’s dream of running the government from Tihar Jail where he is lodged in connection with liquor-gate scam has been shattered by Delhi government’s vigilance directorate by terminating his PA, Bibhav Kumar on the grounds that the prescribed procedure was not followed in his appointment and he was facing charges of preventing a public servant from discharging his duty and assault on him.
Kejriwal’s cabinet colleague, Manish Sisodia is already in jail and Sanjay Singh has been just released on bail in this scam. To add to his worries, the Enforcement Directorate has sought non- bailable warrants against party MLA Amanatullah Khan.
The resignation by Minister Raaj Kumar Anand alleging corruption in Delhi government has put Arvind Kejriwal in an awkward position, who has been playing a victim-card alleging that Prime Minister Narender Modi was planning to get his democratically-elected government dismissed as he was in the forefront of forming an anti-NDA alliance. Anand, who is facing a money-laundering case and the ED had conducted raids at his residence and other locations, came out with an indicting statement: “AAP was formed to fight corruption, but it is now embroiled in it and it has become difficult for me to work as a minister.” He did not stop at that as he further alleged that the Dalits didn’t get respect in the party.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP Secretary Bansuri Swaraj sharpened her attack by saying that Anand’s resignation testifies that both the AAP and Arvind Kejriwal had lost their credibility in Delhi while on the other hand, the Minister Saurabh Singh and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh tried to downplay the issue alleging that BJP was using ED and CBI for “breaking our ministers and MLAs”.
