AAP demands apology from BJP for defaming Kejriwal over Delhi excise policy case

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday demanded an apology from the BJP for defaming Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and levelling false allegations against his party in connection with the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped excise policy.

The party’s remarks came after a Delhi court on Saturday granted bail to two accused in a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in relation to alleged irregularities in Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.

The court said the evidence against the accused, Rajesh Joshi and Gautam Malhotra, was not sufficient for the case against them to be considered prima facie “genuine”. Addressing a press conference, senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said, “a huge conspiracy has been hatched to defame CM Arvind Kejriwal at the behest of PM Modi”.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asserted that the entire case is “bogus” and only meant to malign his party.

“Now even Court has said that there is no material evidence of any kickback or money laundering. We have been saying right from beginning that entire liquor scam is bogus and meant only to malign AAP,” he said in a tweet.

The ED has claimed that Mr. Joshi, a vendor, ensured that ₹30 crore reached Goa for elections, but the order noted there was “no independent evidence to corroborate this fact”.

“This order proves that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is the most honest party. BJP spokespersons had been screaming that there is a scam. But now will they apologise and accept that there was no scam?” she asked.

Reading the court order, Atishi said it had observed that there were “contradictions and exceptions in the ED statement”.