After 12 hours of interrogation, on Wednesday evening, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh in a money-laundering case related to alleged Delhi Excise Policy scam. This arrest follows ED’s earlier raids at Singh’s residence in Delhi in connection with the same case. Sanjay Singh, Rajya Sabha MP, is the third senior AAP leader to be arrested by the Enforcement Directorate.
Earlier in the day, the ED conducted searches at Sanjay Singh’s Delhi government residence over the liquor policy scam. These ED raids prompted a strong response from Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, who accused the BJP of resorting to desperate measures due to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The Delhi liquor policy scam case revolves round the now-defunct Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. Allegations suggest that the AAP-led Delhi government, under the policy meant to grant licences to liquor traders, favoured specific dealers who were alleged to have paid bribes. This allegation was vehemently denied by the ruling party.
The controversial policy was scrapped amid allegations of financial irregularities in its formation and implementation. Following this, the Delhi Lieutenant Governor recommended a CBI probe, leading the ED to register a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Regarding the charges against Sanjay Singh, the ED’s charge-sheet claims that Dinesh Arora, a middleman, asserted that he met Singh during an event at his restaurant in Delhi. In 2020, Singh allegedly requested him to persuade restaurant owners to generate funds for the AAP for the Assembly elections in the national capital and purportedly paid him Rs 82 lakh by cheque for this purpose. Arora also alleged that the AAP MP assisted another accused, Amit Arora, in relocating his liquor shop from Okhla to Pitampur. Sanjay Singh has been named as an accused in the ED chargesheet.
The AAP criticized the BJP for the ED’s action against Singh, suggesting that he was being targeted for raising issues related to the Adani group in Parliament. AAP spokesperson Reena Gupta stated, “Sanjay Singh kept on raising questions on the issue of Adani, and this is why the raids are being conducted at his residence. The Central agencies found nothing earlier and won’t find anything today either. First, they conducted raids at the residence of some journalists yesterday and today, raids conducted at Sanjay Singh’s residence.”
WHAT IS THE ROAD AHEAD FOR AAP and ARVIND KEJRIWAL?
Sanjay Singh has been one of the leaders closest to Arvind Kejriwal since the time of Anna movement. Among the two faces who stood most strongly with Kejriwal at all times, after Sisodia, the second name is that of Sanjay Singh. This is the reason why Sisodia is called Kejriwal’s right hand while Sanjay is considered his left hand. Now, the question arises what will happen to Aam Aadmi Party as well as Arvind Kejriwal?
WILL AAM AADMI PARTY BE DERAILED?
Sanjay Singh’s stature is very big in Aam Aadmi Party. After Kejriwal and Sisodia, Sanjay Singh is the only person who has control over all the big leaders of the party from workers. He has a very important role in all the important strategies and expansion plans of the party. Sanjay Singh is an MP from Rajya Sabha and keeps the voice of the party strong from the streets to the Parliament. Sanjay Singh was busy strengthening the foundation of Aam Aadmi Party in Uttar Pradesh for a long time. Even though the AAP could not leave its mark in the Assembly elections, the party has registered its presence in the civic elections.
SINGH IS A KEY LINK BETWEEN AAP, I.N.D.I.A BLOC
AAP is included in the Congress-led I.N.D.I.A bloc for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He is an important link between AAP and I.N.D.I.A bloc. Sanjay Singh played an important role in bringing AAP closer to other parties. Now with his going to jail, the burden of coordination with the opposition alliance will increase on other leaders like Raghav Chadha.
THIRD HIGH PROFILE LEADER LANDED IN JAIL
Before the arrest of Sanjay Singh, two more big leaders of Aam Aadmi Party are caught in legal trouble. Before Sanjay Singh, Manish Sisodia had to go to jail in the liquor scam, while former Delhi government minister Satyendar Jain also had to go to jail in a money-laundering case. This has also dealt a blow to the party’s credibility.
AAP, BJP trade charges over Singh’s arrest
New Delhi: Terming the arrest of party leader Sanjay Singh by the Enforcement Directorate as “totally illegal”, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said that it shows the “frustration” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and claimed that many more Opposition leaders will be arrested till the elections. “The arrest of Sanjay Singh is totally illegal. This shows Modiji’s frustration. They will arrest many more Opposition leaders till the elections,” Kejriwal said in a post on X.
On the other hand, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shehzad Poonawalla took a jibe at AAP saying, “AAP means ‘Aur Adhik Paap’. The evil acts of Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP in the liquor scam are coming out day by day,” Poonawalla said, adding, “Rather than giving report cards on the liquor scam case they are playing the victimhood card.” He further alleged that in the liquor scam two people have done the work of approver, one of them is Dinesh Arora. “Sanjay Singh has direct connections with Dinesh Arora and he only introduced Manish Sisodia to Dinesh Arora. If this is vendetta politics as the AAP party is claiming, then why is the Congress party supporting this proceeding,” he added. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that MP Sanjay Singh had a main role in the liquor scam after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at Singh’s residence. “In the liquor scam case, his name was continuously coming. Dinesh Arora also said in his statements that Sanjay Singh was the one who introduced Manish Sisodia to the other people who were involved in the scam,” Sirsa said. Delhi BJP president Virendraa Sachdeva said that Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal and his “staunch honest leaders” are being exposed now.
“ED conducted raids in connection with the excise policy case. CM Arvind Kejriwal and his staunch honest leaders are being exposed now. We said from the first day that they had looted the people of Delhi. Sanjay Singh’s name was already there in the chargesheet,” the BJP chief said.