Arvind Kejriwal imprisoned, Minister Raaj Kumar Anand resigns from AAP, citing “corruption”.

After a significant announcement by Mr. Anand, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj accused him of being forced to resign by the BJP. However, Mr. Anand did not confirm this allegation and instead cited the party’s involvement in corrupt practices as the reason for his resignation.

As the social welfare, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes minister, Mr. Anand expressed his sadness and disillusionment with the party, referencing his initial motivation to join AAP and the current state of politics. Mr. Anand, a Patel Nagar MLA, is the first Delhi government minister to resign due to the arrest of Mr. Kejriwal and the liquor policy case.

He also criticized the party for its discriminatory practices, particularly the absence of Dalit representation and leadership positions within AAP. Referring to principles laid down by Baba Saheb Ambedkar, Mr. Anand expressed his inability to continue working for Dalits within the party.

Further, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a search at Mr. Anand’s house in relation to a customs-linked money laundering case. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence had accused Mr. Anand of making false declarations in imports, leading to customs evasion amounting to over Rs 7 crore.

This resulted in a complaint filed against him by the ED. In response to Atishi’s allegations of the BJP using pressure tactics to coerced AAP leaders into joining the party, the Delhi BJP unit issued her a defamation notice.

The Delhi High Court rejected Mr. Kejriwal’s challenge to his arrest in the liquor policy case, where he and two colleagues are accused of accepting kickbacks. The ED alleged that the liquor policy established unreasonably high profit margins, from which a significant amount was allegedly used as poll expenses.

Mr. Kejriwal and AAP have consistently denied these allegations, attributing them to a political conspiracy against the Chief Minister.