The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday demanded an apology from the BJP for defaming Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and levelling false allegations against his party in connection with the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped excise policy.
The party’s remarks came after a Delhi court on Saturday granted bail to two accused in a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in relation to alleged irregularities in Delhi Excise Policy 2021–22. The court said the evidence against the accused, Rajesh Joshi and Gautam Malhotra, was not sufficient for the case against them to be considered prima facie “genuine”.
Addressing a press conference, senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said, “A huge conspiracy has been hatched to defame CM Arvind Kejriwal at the behest of PM Modi”. He highlighted how the ED could not present a single piece of evidence against Malhotra and Joshi in court.
“The recent court order in the fake excise policy case undeniably reveals that there was no such thing as a liquor scam to begin with. It has laid bare the deep-rooted malicious conspiracy hatched by the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), solely to tarnish the image of our esteemed leader, Arvind Kejriwal, and the Aam Aadmi Party,” he said. “However, the truth has prevailed that there is no evidence to support their claims, and it is time for the BJP and PM Modi to be held accountable for their actions,” he added.