AAP crisis
'Entire BJP said Raaj Kumar Anand is corrupt': AAP on minister quitting party
New Delhi/IBNS: Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has said that its minister Raaj Kumar Anand, who stepped down on Wednesday and quit the party alleging corruption, was under pressure from investigative agencies.
The AAP said that Anand was under the scanner of the central agencies and his house was searched last year in connection with an alleged corruption case.
Anand cited his dissatisfaction over the party's policy on corruption and resigned from his post and the primary membership of the Aam Aadmi Party.
He was the Minister of Social Welfare in the national capital and an MLA from Patel Nagar area.
"Aam Aadmi Party was born to fight corruption but today the party is stuck in a swamp of corruption. It has become difficult for me to work on the minister's post. I resigned from the post of minister and from the party as I can't connect name with this corruption," Anand was quoted as saying by India Today.
He quit his post at a time when Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is currently in prison following his arrest in liquor policy case.
Senior AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj said the Enforcement Directorate raided Raaj Kumar Anand's house for 23 hours in November. "The entire BJP was then saying that Raaj Kumar Anand is corrupt," he said.
Reiterating that the BJP's intention behind the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal is to break AAP, Bhardwaj said, "Every minister and MLA of Aam Aadmi Party is facing a test."
"We know some people will retreat in this fight, some will have weak morale, some will break but there are a large number of people who will face these circumstances," Bhardwaj said.
The ED searched Anand's house in a customs-linked money laundering case in November 2023.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, in a complaint to a local court, had alleged false declarations in imports for customs evasions of over Rs. 7 crore. The ED then filed a complaint against Anand.
Senior AAP leader and Delhi minister Atishi had earlier alleged that the BJP was in touch with several leaders of her party and was trying to poach them using the carrot and stick method. She and a few others were approached by the party, Atishi had claimed.
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