"Centre misusing agencies," Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj after ED raids AAP leader's residence

New Delhi: Reacting to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids at the residence of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raaj Kumar Anand earlier in the day, Delhi Minister and AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj took a dig at the BJP-led centre and said that even the British did not misuse the agencies as much as the central government is doing.
Speaking to ANI on the raids at AAP leader Raaj Kumar Anand's premises, Bharadwaj said, "The fault of Raaj Kumar Anand is that he is an AAP MLA and a minister from the party. Even during the British era, if you had to search someone's house, you needed a search warrant from the court. Even the British believed that if you give the right to the police or any agency to enter someone's house for a search."
"The court gave a search warrant earlier but today the ED needs no court warrant. ED officers decide whose house they have to raid. Raids are conducted on the premises of only opposition leaders. How many BJP chief ministers and minister's premises have been raided till now, BJP needs to answer. This is a misuse of agencies. Even the British did not misuse the agencies as much as the Central Government is doing," the AAP MLA said.
Earlier in the day, the Directorate of Enforcement conducted raids at the residence of AAP leader and Delhi Labour and Employment Minister Raaj Kumar Anand in the Civil Lines area.
Searches started early this morning at 9 am at premises linked to him.
The raid came of the same day that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was called for questioning by the ED in connection with the alleged liquor scam.
Kejriwal has since skipped the summons. In a letter to the agency Kejriwal questioned the legality of the summons.
"The said summons is not clear as to the capacity in which I am being summoned i.e. as a witness or a suspect in the above-mentioned case. Please recall the said summons, which is to say the least is vague and motivated and I am advised, unsustainable in law," Kejriwal stated in his letter to the ED.
He further alleged that the said summons appears to be politically motivated and issued for extraneous considerations.
"Simultaneous to the summons, in the afternoon of 30.10.2023, BJP leaders started making statements that soon I would be summoned and arrested. By the evening of that day, I received your summons. It is thus apparent that the said summons was leaked to select BJP leaders to malign my image and reputation and has been issued at the behest of the ruling party at the Centre," his letter read.