ED raids are misuse of power by Centre: AAP's Sanjay Singh

Mumbai: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh on Wednesday accused the Centre of misusing its power after the Enforcement Directorate raided two of his associates in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case.

Talking to reporters here, the Rajya Sabha member said he would continue to raise “corruption with regard to Prime Minister Narendra Modi”, referring to the Adani-Hindenburg issue.

“Fake cases are being pressed against my associates and ED raids are taking place. Let them do what they want,” he said.

Earlier, Singh issued a Twitter video message, saying two of his associates – Ajit Tyagi and Sarvesh Mishra – are being raided by the federal agency.

Singh is among many senior AAP leaders, including party convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who are in Mumbai to garner support for their fight against the BJP-ruled Centre’s ordinance on control of services in Delhi.

Singh said the verdict of a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court was overturned by the Centre through an ordinance to reduce the powers of the elected government of Delhi.

“This shows that the Modi government has no commitment towards upholding constitutional values. They don't believe in the Constitution, democracy and the judiciary. They only topple governments with the use of money,” he said.

The AAP leader said that no invitation has been extended to President Droupadi Murmu to inaugurate the new Parliament building and it amounted to an insult to the office of the constitutional head of India and ‘Adivasis’ (tribals). “That’s why we are boycotting the inauguration,” he said.

It has been alleged by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP.

The policy was subsequently scrapped and the Delhi lieutenant governor recommended a CBI probe, following which the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.