Kejriwal govt has put Delhi governance model on 'ventilator', says BJP after ED raids on AAP leaders

New Delhi: Hours after the ED carried out raids at premises linked to AAP leaders, the BJP on Tuesday said the Arvind Kejriwal government has put the governance model of Delhi on “ventilator” by focussing solely on its “publicity, drama and scams”.

The BJP’s reaction came after Delhi minister Atishi said the Centre is trying to "scare and silence" the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) through the Enforcement Directorate.

The AAP’s allegation against the BJP came after the ED searched the premises of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's personal secretary Bibhav Kumar and AAP Rajya Sabha MP and party's treasurer ND Gupta as part of a money laundering case.

About 10-12 premises in the city were raided under a probe linked to alleged irregularities in DJB's tendering process, officials said.

Hitting back at the AAP, Union minister Meenakshi Lekhi listed the alleged scams under the Kejriwal government and said those who created space for themselves by projecting themselves as “outright honest” have become “synonymous with corruption” today.

She also hit out at Kejriwal for skipping the ED summons and asked Atishi to tell people when the Delhi chief minister would appear before the probe agency to answer its questions.

“One can always see that every time you ask questions related to law, adherence to law and order and regulations, one finds that everywhere they are missing in action,” Lekhi told a news conference at the BJP headquarters.

Their only emphasis has been “on drama, publicity, wrong doings and creating so much of ruckus and racketing in the form of scams,” she charged, adding they are "responsible for putting the governance model of Delhi on the ventilator”.

The ED has issued five summons to Kejriwal for questioning in alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

The AAP national convenor has skipped all the five summons.

Slamming Kejriwal for skipping the ED summons, Lekhi said when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat, he “sat before a SIT (special investigation team) for seven hours and answered each and every question”.

“All the rubbish allegations which were brought against him, he faced everything, from the trial court to the Supreme Court. That's the way you face up. That is called adherence to the law and order, governance and the Constitution of this country. You don't lie and behave in this manner,” she added.

Welcoming the raids on AAP leaders, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the party was involved in corruption and the probe agency was exposing it.

Sachdeva said the AAP were involved in scams related to the excise policy and the Delhi Jal Board.

"Aam Aadmi Party and its leaders, including Kejriwal, have indulged in corruption. The probe agencies are exposing their corruption", Sachdeva said.

The BJP leader said it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "guarantee" to recover "every single penny looted" from the government exchequer.

"We welcome the probe. Facts will come up through the investigation," Sachdeva said.