Delhi News: Soon after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan on Monday claimed that a team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was at his house in Delhi's Okhla to arrest him, the ruling party in Delhi attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Centre for alleged misuse of investigating agencies.
AAP leader Manish Sisodia took to X and slammed BJP and the ED. "This is the only work left for the ED: to suppress every voice raised against the BJP. Break it. Arrest and imprison those who do not break or surrender," Sisodia said.
Party MP Sanjay Singh also criticised the "ruthless" ED and "dictatorial" BJP government for action against Khan.
"Look at the cruelty of the ED. Amanatullah Khan first participated in the ED's investigation and requested more time due to his mother-in-law's cancer and her recent surgery. Despite this, they raided his house early in the morning. There is no evidence against Amanatullah Khan, but both Modi's dictatorship and the ED's thuggery continue," Singh posted on X in Hindi.
Later, in a video message, the AAP MP said that despite the Supreme Court telling the ED to not investigate with "ill intention", there was an ED raid at AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan's residence this morning.
"It is happening at the time when Khan's mother-in-law underwent a cancer surgery recently. ED knows this. Amanatullah Khan's advocate had already written to them asking for time because of the surgery. In 2016, the CBI registered a case. After an investigation for 6 years, they said Amanatullah Khan did not take bribes, he was let off. ACB and ED also did an investigation. ACB had arrested him, and when he got bail, they said that there was no evidence of a bribe. ED had grilled him for long hours. Today's raid is related to the case of 2016. It is shameful that raids were happening when he was let off by two agencies. They are just becoming tools of the government, I want to say to the government that we will fight and we will win," Singh said.
BJP's Reaction
BJP Delhi President Virendra Sachdeva attacked AAP following the ED raid on MLA Amanatullah Khan, accusing the party of widespread corruption. "Aam Aadmi Party has a long list of criminals and corrupt individuals, and when legal action is taken against them, they start protesting," Sachdeva remarked, highlighting Khan's frequent involvement in controversies.
"Now that the investigative institutions are doing their work, they have started protesting against it. If you have committed a theft or corruption, then you will have to answer," the Delhi BJP President said, adding that there is a rule of law in this country and law is equal for all.
'ED Action Against Amanatullah Khan'
Earlier today, Khan claimed that a team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was at his house in Delhi's Okhla to arrest him. Sources said that the ED team was conducting a raid in connection with the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of staff for the Delhi Waqf Board. The team was accompanied by Delhi Police and CRPF personnel. Amanatullah Khan was arrested in April by ED in the case and later got bail from the Delhi Rouse Avenue court which granted him bail on a personal bond of Rs 15,000 and one surety of like amount.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed a complaint against him for failing to appear before the agency and participate in the investigation related to alleged irregularities in appointments at the Delhi Waqf Board.
According to complaints, Khan allegedly got a large amount of cash through illegal staff recruitment at the Delhi Waqf Board and used the money to buy properties in the names of his associates.