New Delhi: Delhi’s Lt Governor V K Saxena has urged for a National Investigation Agency (NIA) inquiry into Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s alleged acceptance of political funds from the banned terrorist group ‘Sikhs for Justice’, according to sources at Raj Niwas,
The Aam Aadmi Party has not yet responded to this development.
In a communication to the Union Home secretary, the Lt Governor’s office conveyed that a complaint had been received, alleging that the AAP, under Kejriwal’s leadership, had received a sum of USD 16 million from extremist Khalistani organizations. This purported funding was supposedly aimed at securing the release of Devendra Pal Bhullar and advocating pro-Khalistani sentiments.
Citing the serious nature of the complaint, particularly involving a Chief Minister and funding from a proscribed entity, the Lt Governor underscored the necessity for a comprehensive investigation, including forensic scrutiny of electronic evidence provided by the complainant.
Additionally, the Lt Governor forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs a letter written by Kejriwal in January 2014 to one Iqbal Singh. In the letter, Kejriwal allegedly indicated the AAP government’s intention to expedite Bhullar’s release and address related issues, including the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The complaint also alluded to a video released by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the head of Sikhs for Justice and a wanted Khalistani militant, alleging substantial funding to AAP by Khalistani groups between 2014 and 2022. Furthermore, it claimed that Kejriwal had clandestine meetings with Khalistani leaders at Gurudwara Richmond Hills, New York, during a visit in 2014, wherein promises were made regarding Bhullar’s release in exchange for financial support to AAP.
Former AAP member Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada, through social media, shared purported images of Kejriwal’s alleged meeting with Khalistani leaders.
Kejriwal, presently in judicial custody since April 1 in connection with a money laundering case related to Delhi’s liquor policy, has been detained in Tihar Jail. He was apprehended by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21.
