Indus Valley Times

NEW DELHI, MAY 6 : Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has recommended a NIA probe into allegations that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP government received funding from ‘Sikhs for Justice’, a banned US-based Khalistani group. The AAP vehemently denied the allegations and said it was “another conspiracy” against Kejriwal.

According to the Lt Governor’s Secretariat, Saxena had received a complaint that AAP had received USD 16 million from pro-Khalistani groups for facilitating the release of 1993 Delhi blasts convict and terrorist Devendra Pal Bhullar and espousing pro-Khalistani sentiments.

He said that since the complaint was made against a Chief Minister and related to political funding received from a banned outfit, “the electronic evidence adduced by the complainant requires investigation, including forensic examination”.

The Lt Governor has also referred to the Ministry of Home Affairs, a letter written by Kejriwal to one Iqbal Singh in January 2014, mentioning that “the AAP government has already recommended to the President the release of Bhullar and would be working on other issues, including the formation of SIT, sympathetically and in a time-bound manner”.

Iqbal Singh was sitting on a fast at Jantar Mantar, demanding written assurance for the release of Bhullar. He ended his fast after receiving the letter from Kejriwal.

The complaint refers to a video released by Sikhs for Justice chief and wanted Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, wherein he has alleged that AAP received USD 16 million from Khalistani groups between 2014 and 2022.

It has also been alleged that Kejriwal held closed-door meetings with Khalistani leaders at Gurudwara Richmond Hills, New York during his visit in 2014. Kejriwal had allegedly promised to facilitate the release of Bhullar in return for substantial financial backing from Khalistani factions to AAP, the Lt Governor’s office claimed.

In a series of posts on social media, Dr Munish Kumar Raizada, a former AAP worker, shared the pictures of Kejriwal’s said meeting with the Khalistani leaders.

Kejriwal is presently in judicial custody and has been lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail since April 1 in connection with a money laundering case-linked Delhi liquor policy case. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21.

Delhi minister and senior AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the BJP of hatching a political conspiracy as it was fearing defeat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in the national capital.

“Lt Governor sir is an agent of BJP. This is another big conspiracy against Arvind Kejriwal at the behest of the BJP. The BJP is in panic due to the fear of getting defeated in all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi,” he said.

Bharadwaj alleged that the BJP had “hatched this conspiracy” before the 2022 Punjab assembly polls.

-PTI