BJP has stooped so low, sends notices to AAP every year: Raghav Chaddha slams Centre over ED notice

After alleging that his Aam Aadmi Party has been sent a notice by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Raghav Chaddha on Monday accused the BJP of "stooping so low", alleging that the Centre sends notices to the party through ED, Income Tax, Delhi Police, Central Bureau of Investigation, Election Commission, every financial year.

Addressing a press conference here today, the AAP spokesperson said, "In 2012, the MHA sent the first notice to us regarding an investigation into the alleged foreign funding in the Anna Andolan, seeking the bank account details over the alleged violation of the FCRA Act by India Against Corruption. The notices were sent to Arvind Kejriwal and many other leaders. Then an investigation was conducted. After investigation, the MHA filed an affidavit in the high court and said that their bank accounts are clean and the ministry could not find a single faulty transaction. "The BJP has stooped so low. The ill-mentality of the BJP has no limits. It even ordered the police to take Somnath Bharti's pet dog into custody for an investigation."

He further said, "Thereafter, we were sent a notice in 2013. An assessment was carried out in 2014. In 2015, we served an Income Tax notice. In 2016, an Income Tax investigation notice was sent to us. In 2017, the Election Commission also sent us a notice. 2018, 2019, 2020, in every financial year, the people of BJP sent us notices through ED, Income Tax or Delhi police, CBI, EC."

Alleging that the CBI had conducted raids on the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's office. However, in all these cases, the Delhi Police and CBI could not find even a single irregularity, said the AAP leader.

"The CBI had conducted raids on Manish Sisodia's office twice. Sat there for six hours. They could not file a charge sheet to date, instead, the CBI is forced to file a closure report," alleged Chaddha.

He further said that 21 AAP MLAs were disqualified by the EC "on the instructions of the BJP".

"When we challenged this in the high court, the EC and the BJP received a huge setback and the disqualification was set aside," said the AAP leader.

Alleging that in the last five years, around two dozen party MLAs were arrested, Chaddha stated that in all the cases, all those MLAs were acquitted and the court also lashed out at the Delhi police over their arrests.

In September 2018, the EC had issued a notice to the AAP alleging that the party has received foreign funding owing to which it wants to cancel the party's registration, alleged Chaddha.

Earlier in the day, slamming the BJP for the Enforcement Directorate notice to AAP, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said these tactics of the BJP will never succeed and will make them stronger.

"In Delhi, they tried to defeat us with IT Dept, CBI, Delhi Police-- but we won 62 seats. As we grow in Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand, Gujarat-- we get an ED notice! The people of India want honest politics. These tactics of BJP will never succeed. They will make us stronger," he tweeted.

Kejriwal's remarks came after Chadha had said the party has received a notice from Enforcement Directorate.

"In a first, AAP receives a love letter from Modi Government's favourite agency - the Enforcement Directorate," Chadha had tweeted today.

(ANI)