BJP Leaders Rally Behind ED Raids: AAP Faces Corruption Allegations

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expressed approval on Tuesday for the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) raids targeting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj. Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused AAP's Punjab government of exploiting the state financially.

Sirsa alleged, "The ED's investigation into the hospital construction scam at Saurabh Bharadwaj's residence revealed corruption amounting to crores, associated with the building of 13 hospitals." He further claimed AAP was heavily plundering Punjab resources and appealed to Punjab officials to resist participating. "I endorse the ED's initiative," he stated.

BJP member Harish Khurana criticized AAP's outrage over the raids, casting them as a play for sympathy. "The raids at 13 sites, including Bharadwaj's home, underscore widespread corruption during AAP's tenure in Delhi, affecting all government departments," asserted Khurana.

The BJP rebuffed AAP's claims of political vendetta. Khurana affirmed, "We've highlighted financial discrepancies in hospital construction, yet AAP deems the ED's actions politically motivated. Nonetheless, accumulating evidence suggests a pervasive pattern of deceit under Arvind Kejriwal's leadership."

Amid the political drama, Atishi, Delhi's Leader of Opposition, denounced the raids as attempts to distract from questions about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree's authenticity. She cited past cases, like the closure of corruption accusations against Satyendar Jain, underscoring her claim that allegations against AAP lack foundation and serve political agendas.

In early morning operations, the ED probed Bharadwaj's premises alongside 12 other locations as part of a money laundering inquiry tied to suspected hospital project fraud in Delhi, acting on insider reports, following protocols under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.