CBI, ED two 'horses' of BJP's election chariot: Congress on fresh corruption allegations against AAP

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Congress leader Hilal Naqvi on Wednesday took a hit at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the fresh allegations of corruption against crisis-hit Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) by the Directorate of Enforcement and said it was another attempt by the party to "influence" the ensuing elections, reported news agency ANI.

Likening central probe agencies, the Directorate of Enforcement and the Central Bureau of Investigation as the "two horses" of the Bharatiya Janata Party's "chunavi rath" (election chariot), the election donations as a shield and the income tax as the chariot, the Congress leader said the BJP was trying to fight the elections, reported ANI.

Speaking to ANI, Congress leader Hilal Naqvi said, "It seems very ridiculous when the ED arrests the Chief Ministers of the elected governments just before the elections and imposes unprecedented charges on them. It seems that none of them (probe agencies) notice the way BJP has looted the election funds."

"Whether it is the Directorate of Enforcement or the Central Bureau of Investigation. Both of them are 'two horses' of the Bharatiya Janata Party's "chunavi rath" (election chariot). The election donations are the shield used by the BJP and the income tax as the chariot. With that the BJP is trying to fight the elections," said Naqvi, reported ANI.

"In this regard, these corruption allegations by the probe agencies are also an attempt by the BJP to use ED to influence the elections," stated the Congress leader, reported ANI.

Reacting to the same, Samajwadi Party (SP) spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chaand said, "The Bharatiya Janata Party will put up more allegations around these ensuing elections," reported ANI.

He further alleged and said, "The agencies are working at the behest of BJP, and the way the agencies are being misused by the BJP's governance is known to everyone."

"The way BJP has continuously tried to weaken the democracy and constitution of the country is not hidden from anybody as well," said the SP spokesperson, reported ANI.

"The allegations levelled by ED will be brought forward to the law and investigated. On this issue, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has to just say that the entire country is watching the misuse of the agencies by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)," he added, reported ANI.

This comes after the Directorate of Enforcement on Tuesday levelled fresh corruption allegations against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), claiming that bribe money from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) scam was also channelled into the party as election funds.

The federal probe agency alleged that Jagdish Kumar Arora, the former Delhi Jal Board chief engineer had "transferred" Rs 2 crore of bribe money to his colleagues in the department and AAP as election funds.

The fresh money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which highlighted scheduled offences related to corruption and bribery within the Delhi Jal Board.

The fresh claims by the probe agency came days after it arrested Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal in connection with a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy case.

Kejriwal, India's first sitting Chief Minister to be arrested, is currently lodged in Asia's largest prison, Tihar. He will remain in judicial custody till April 15.

(With inputs from ANI)