After Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia last week, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) visited another Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Minister, Satyendar Jain, on Monday.
Preliminary probe
The CBI’s visit to Mr. Jain’s house, which the AAP has called a ‘raid’, took place in pursuance of a preliminary inquiry registered by the agency in April. It alleged that Mr. Jain, as a Minister, was involved in laundering ₹4.63 crore during 2015-16.
The move has led the AAP to hit back at the BJP government at the Centre, saying that its leaders being charged and probed was “vendetta”. According to the AAP, the BJP is misusing the CBI and the Income Tax (I-T) Department to implicate its Ministers.
‘Diverting attention’
Mr. Sisodia has alleged that central agencies have been raiding party offices to divert attention from the Vyapam scam, Panama papers and alleged irregularities in the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA).
AAP’s chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj has claimed that the CBI’s version of the case against Mr. Jain is imaginary.
‘CBI story fictitious’
“All characters and events depicted in the CBI’s story are fictitious. It claims that two people — Sanjay and Suresh — have been working with Mr. Jain since 2010. It has been alleged that both of them sent hawala money through Kolkata-based racketeers. But we believe these persons do not exist,” Mr. Bharadwaj told the media.
He added that this proved the BJP was “misusing the CBI and the I-T Department to implicate” Mr. Jain, who is the Delhi Health Minister.
About the allegations levelled by the BJP’s I-T Department that four persons had given statements against the Health Minister, Mr. Bharadwaj said that the statements were recorded under pressure. He added that when Mr. Jain told the I-T Department that he wanted to confront the four persons, he was allowed to talk to one Bablu Pathak.
“He [Mr. Pathak] broke down and confessed within minutes that Mr. Jain had nothing to do with this case,” a statement issued by the AAP said.
Last week, the CBI had questioned Mr. Sisodia at his residence to seek clarifications in connection with a preliminary inquiry registered against him over alleged irregularities in the AAP’s ‘Talk to AK’ campaign. The agency had registered the inquiry in January based on a complaint filed by the Delhi government’s Vigilance Department.