ED must probe ‘direct nexus’ between BJP and ‘South lobby’, says AAP
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday said it has found “another link” between the witnesses in the alleged Delhi excise scam and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and has demanded that the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is currently investigating the case, should also probe the links between the “South lobby” and the ruling party if it claims to be an “independent body”.
According to Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy — the father of Raghava Magunta Reddy, who was arrested by the ED in connection with the case — was fielded by the BJP’s ally, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, thus proving a “direct nexus” between the BJP and the “South lobby”.
“Magunta Reddy said in two statements that there was no discussion between him and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal regarding the excise policy, but after his son’s arrest, he succumbed and gave a third statement against the CM. His son Raghava Magunta also did not mention the CM’s name in six statements, but issued a seventh statement against him, and after being turned into a government witness, managed to secure bail,” Mr. Bharadwaj said.
“The ED should also investigate Magunta Reddy and Raghav Magunta’s direct association with the BJP. They will find details of their mutual phone calls dating back years,” he added.
Delhi Minister Atishi said that after the “exposition” of how Sarath Reddy, the director of Aurobindo Pharma, became an approver in the case and then donated money in the form of electoral bonds to the BJP, this was another “big revelation”.
A close observation of the probe reveals that until statements against the CM are obtained, every witness may have been “intimidated”, Ms. Atishi added.