The move came after Saxena received a complaint from one Ashoo Mongia, national general secretary of World Hindu Federation India, alleging that Kejriwal-led AAP had received huge funds – $16 million – from extremist pro-Khalistan groups for facilitating the release of Devendra Pal Bhullar and espousing pro-Khalistan sentiments.Bhullar is lodged in Amritsar Central Jail.
A letter from the LG’s office to MHA says, “Since the complaint is made against a chief minister and relates to political funding received from a banned terrorist organisation, electronic evidence adduced by the complainant requires investigation, including forensic examination.”
Rubbishing the charge, Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj called Saxena an “agent of BJP” and described his action as a major political conspiracy against the CM. He said such allegations are regularly levelled against Kejriwal before every election. “BJP had made the same allegations just before the Punjab assembly elections in 2022. Union home minister Amit Shah had ordered an investigation but nothing came of it,” Bharadwaj said.
LG adopting various tactics to tarnish Kejriwal’s image ahead of voting: AAP
Responding to LG Vinai Saxena recommending an NIA probe against CM Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj posted on X, “This is a complete misuse of the constitutional office of LG. A PIL demanding a high-level investigation into the same matter was dismissed by HC two years ago. The division bench of acting chief justice Vipin Sanghi and justice Navin Chawla rejected the plea filed by one Jagdish Sharma, stating that it was ‘completely frivolous’.”
Bharadwaj also posted a link of a news report on the order of the court. The order had said that Union home minister Amit Shah had taken cognisance of a letter written by the then Punjab chief minister on the matter and that the court’s interference in the case was not required.
The present communication by the LG’s office to MHA says, “Keeping in view the sensitivity and seriousness of the allegations levelled in the complaint, Hon’ble LG has desired the MHA… may consider referring the matter to the NIA for conducting a comprehensive investigation into the matter,” says the letter written by the principal secretary to the LG to the Union home secretary.
The LG has also referred to MHA, a letter purportedly written by Kejriwal to one Iqbal Singh in January 2014, mentioning that “AAP government had recommended to the President the release of Professor Bhullar and would be working on other issues, including formation of SIT etc sympathetically and in a time-bound manner.”
Iqbal Singh was sitting on a fast at Jantar Mantar, demanding a written assurance for the release of Bhullar and he ended his fast after receiving the letter from Kejriwal.
The complaint made to the LG refers to a video released by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. It also mentions a series of posts on social media by a former AAP worker, Munish Kumar Raizada, who had shared purported pictures of Kejriwal’s said meeting with Khalistani leaders.
In the complaint to the LG, it has been alleged that Kejriwal held closed-door meetings with Khalistani leaders at Gurdwara Richmond Hills, New York, during his visit in 2014. He is alleged to have “promised to facilitate the release of Bhullar in return for substantial financial backing from Khalistani factions to AAP”, alleges the complaint.
In a video statement released in March, Pannun had alleged that pro-Khalistan Sikhs had given $16 million to Kejriwal and AAP between 2014 and 2022. In the video, he had also claimed that Kejriwal, currently lodged in Tihar after his arrest by ED on corruption charges, had a meeting with pro-Khalistan Sikhs at the gurdwara in New York in 2014.
On Monday, Bharadwaj said the LG, at the behest of BJP, was “adopting various tactics to tarnish the image of CM Kejriwal” in the days leading up to voting in Delhi.