New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has been up in arms against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for arresting Arvind Kejriwal in a money-laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy, on Saturday hit back at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
AAP claimed that the ED has not been able to establish a money trail against any of its leaders in the now-scrapped excise policy case, but an accused-turned-approver gave crores of rupees in electoral bonds to the BJP.
“In the so-called excise policy scam of Delhi, CBI and ED investigations have been going on for the past two years. In these two years, a question has come up again and again: Where is the money trail? Where did the money go? No proceeds of crime were recovered from any leader, minister or worker of AAP,” Delhi minister Atishi said at a press conference.
Atishi went on to state that the Delhi chief minister was arrested by ED based merely on the statement of one Sharad P Reddy of Aurobindo Pharma. Reddy, who was arrested by the ED in November in the same case, later gave crores of rupees to the BJP through electoral bonds, the Delhi minister claimed.
“Sharad Chandra Reddy clearly said that he never met or spoke with Arvind Kejriwal and has nothing to do with AAP. After being in jail for several months, he changed his statement. But where is the money? Where is the money trail?” she questioned.
Alleging that the money trail was found in BJP’s account, Atishi dared ED to arrest BJP president JP Nadda.
“He (Sharad Chandra Reddy) gave electoral bonds worth Rs 4.5 crore to the BJP. And then also gave bonds worth Rs 55 crore. Where is the money trail? Money trail was found in the BJP’s account. I challenge Prime Minister Narendra and ED to arrest BJP national president JP Nadda,” Atishi said, showing a printout of electoral bonds list.
Sharad Reddy is the son of Aurobindo Pharma founder PV Ram Prasad Reddy. The ED had alleged that Reddy was part of a cartel — which they called ‘South group’ — of businessmen and politicians that paid kickbacks to AAP leaders in lieu of getting nine retail zones under the Delhi excise policy.
Last July, a Delhi court allowed Reddy to turn approver in the excise policy case.
BRS leader K Kavitha, who is also allegedly a member of the ‘South group’, was arrested last week by ED.
