AAP MP Sanjay Singh arrested by ED, Opposition says BJP is desperate to weaken INDIA bloc

In yet another setback for the Aam Aadmi Party, the Enforcement Directorate has arrested its Rajya Sabha MP, Sanjay Singh, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the alleged money laundering in the “Delhi liquor scam”. ED officials conducted raids at his Delhi residence on Wednesday morning, following which he was taken away by ED officials.

This is the third major arrest from the party. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain was arrested in May last year. But the biggest jolt came in February this year when the Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and second to Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia was arrested by CBI in the alleged liquor scam.

According to the central agency, Singh played a key role in the formulation of the Liquor policy which now has been scrapped but had then allegedly benefitted a few manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers.

“The arrest of Sanjay Singh is completely illegal. This shows Modi ji's nervousness. They will arrest many more opposition leaders till the elections”, said Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister.

Leaders from the INDIA bloc came in support of Kejriwal, calling the arrest an attempt to weaken the opposition. “ED is not functional in BJP ruled States. Stay strong” wrote TMC MP Derek O’Brien on “X”, tagging Arvind Kejriwal, Sanjay Singh and AAP.

Earlier in the day while raids were underway at the residence of Sanjay Singh, Kejriwal had slammed the move and termed it desperation on the part of the BJP. Kejriwal claimed the year-long probe into the alleged liquor policy scam by ED hadn’t led them to any evidence. "They have been probing the alleged liquor scam for the last year but nothing has been found yet. Nothing will be found at Sanjay Singh's residence. When someone is staring at defeat, they resort to desperate measures. That is what is happening right now”, Kejriwal wrote on “X”

The Bharatiya Janata Party, on the other hand, claimed that AAP is crying foul after doing ‘vaasuli’ (extortion) and named Kejriwal as the ‘kingpin’ in the case. “The public of the nation and Delhi has understood that if there's a kingpin in the Liquor scam it is Arvind Kejriwal on whose indications the Liquor scam in Delhi took place. The accused Dinesh Arora who is a businessman has accepted that at Delhi CM's residence, the meeting was held”, said BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia in a press briefing.​