Harassing oppn leaders by conducting raids against them not right: Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: Conducting raids against opposition leaders and harassing them is not right, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday, asserting that the country will only progress when everyone works together.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Ashram flyover extension inauguration here, Kejriwal was responding to a question about a CBI team visiting former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi's residence in Patna for questioning her in connection with the land-for-jobs scam.

The CBI team reached Rabri Devi's 10, Circular Road residence at around 10:30 AM and spent five hours inside.

"It is wrong. Conducting raid against all opposition leaders like this and harassing them is not right," Kejriwal told reporters.

The CBI, however, said earlier in the day that no search or raid took place at Rabri Devi's residence.

Asked if the CBI team's visit could be a fallout of a letter written by nine opposition leaders to Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging "blatant misuse" of central agencies, Kejriwal said it could be related to that.

"It is becoming a trend that in states where opposition parties are in power, the government will either not be allowed to work or CBI and ED will be sent there to harass them, or LG or Governor will be used to obstruct work there.

"The country and democracy will only progress when everyone works together. Be it those in power or those in opposition, whosoever gets votes and forms a government, should be allowed to work," he said.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and Rabri Devi's son Tejashwi Yadav was among the opposition leaders who wrote the letter to Modi.

The other signatories to the letter include Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah.

According to the CBI FIR, some people, although residents of Patna, were appointed as substitutes in Group-D posts during 2004-2009 in different railways zones. In lieu thereof, the individuals themselves or their family members transferred their lands in the name of family members of the then Railways minister and Rabri Devi's husband Lalu Prasad and AK Infosystems Private Limited, a company which was subsequently taken over by his family members.

The CBI has already filed its charge sheet in the case and a special court has summoned the accused, including Prasad and his family members, on March 15.