Sanjay’s Singh arrest in Delhi excise policy case sparks political firestorm

An ED officer said that Singh was arrested under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for allegedly playing a key role in getting favours for himself and certain businessmen through his aides by influencing the now-scrapped policy. “We have found robust evidence which reveals that Sanjay Singh benefitted from the excise policy through his aides. He was not cooperating in the probe since the beginning,” the officer said asking not to be named.

Singh, the most prominent political voice of the AAP both inside and outside the Parliament, is the second leader from the Delhi’s ruling party to be arrested in the excise policy probe. Then Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the same case in February.

Delhi chief minister and AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal said Singh’s arrest was “illegal” and reflected Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “nervousness”.

“The arrest of Sanjay Singh is completely illegal. This shows Modi ji’s nervousness. They will arrest many more opposition leaders before the elections,” Kejriwal said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Earlier in the day Kejriwal linked the ED raid at Singh’s residence with the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and said, “It seems to be the last desperate effort of a person who is going to lose.”

Kejriwal also alleged that the Centre was misusing the federal investigating agencies. “As the elections draw near, ED, CBI, police and other agencies will be used in different ways…..but we are not worried worry about it. When a person is losing, they indulge in such things,” the Delhi chief ministers said, before ED arrested the AAP MP.

The chief minister also visited Singh’s residence along with his wife later in the day. Emerging out of the house, Kejriwal said, “Sanjay Singh is the strongest voice against Narendra Modi’s corruption in the country. Initially, he (the PM) got Sanjay Singh suspended from the Parliament, and today he was arrested in a completely fake case.”

Singh issued a video statement before ED officers took him in a car even as AAP supporters gathered outside launched a protest. “I have been regularly speaking against the corruption of the Narendra Modi government and Adani scams. I lodged complaints with the ED against them, but no action was ever taken on my complaints. Today, the ED suddenly arrived at my residence and carried searches throughout the day but nothing was recovered. Despite this, I am being forcibly arrested. Now, a lot of fake stories and news will be planted,” Singh said in the video statement.

“We are the soldiers of AAP, and want to tell Modiji that he is going to badly lose the election (LS polls) and this (his arrest) reflects his hopelessness and his loss. Whenever oppression increases, people rise against it. I will continue to speak against Modi government’s corruption and Adani’s scams,” said Singh.

AAP Delhi convener Gopal Rai said that the AAP will stage a protest outside the BJP headquarters at 11am on Thursday against Singh’s arrest. “The arrest makes it clear that all the gimmicks by the BJP and PM Narendra Modi to win the 2024 Lok Sabha elections have failed, and now the BJP is trying to win the polls by using the Enforcement Directorate,” said Rai, appealing to the people to join the protest to ”protest democracy and Constitution”.

Rai said it was a larger issue and not just about the arrest of one AAP leader. “The way Trinamool Congress women leaders were dragged by the police [while protesting in Delhi on Wednesday], the way journalists were arrested ...the BJP thinks that it can win the elections by imposing an undeclared emergency,” the AAP leader said.

Sanjay Singh’s wife Anita said the ED searched their house, computers and documents but did not find anything. “They arrested him because there was a pressure on them. They (ED) did not give us any reasons for the arrest. We are all with him, he should continue the fight,” said Anita.

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann said that the BJP was using ED to “scare people”.

Leader of the opposition in Delhi assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri led a group of party leaders to stage a protest outside AAP headquarters on Wednesday, demanding the resignation of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal over the excise ‘scam’.

“The time is not far when Arvind Kejriwal will land in jail. Two people who were accused in the excise scam have become government witnesses,” Bidhuri said.

The BJP leaders also demanded that former deputy CM Manish Sisodia, who is in jail since February this year, should be expelled from the AAP.

Read here: ‘Path of honesty is difficult’: Kejriwal after meeting Sanjay Singh's family

BJP MPs Manoj Tiwari, Pravesh Sahib Singh and Ramesh Bidhuri also participated in the protest.

“For the last 15 months, Arvind Kejriwal has been trying to save those accused who are not even getting bail. The people of Delhi regret handing over power to Kejriwal because they did not know that Kejriwal and his team will turn Delhi into the corruption capital,” said Tiwari, the BJP MP from North East Delhi.

Union minister and BJP MP from New Delhi Meenakashi Lekhi said that the arrest of the AAP leader is part of the steps being taken towards building a ‘Bhrashtachaar Mukt Bharat’ (corruption-free India).

“The opposition has come to the power for the welfare of their own family. It is the Modi government that has decided ‘Naa Khaunga, Na Khane Dunga’ and these steps are being taken towards building a corruption-free India.”