Lieutenant Governor Recommends NIA Probe into Allegations of Khalistani Funding for AAP
Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has initiated a recommendation for a National Investigation Agency (NIA) inquiry into allegations that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government received illicit funding from the banned US-based Khalistani group, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).
The allegations emerged from a complaint alleging that AAP received USD 16 million from pro-Khalistani elements to expedite the release of Devendra Pal Bhullar, a convict in the 1993 Delhi blasts, and to promote pro-Khalistani sentiments.
The Lt. Governor's Secretariat reports that Saxena finds the electronic evidence provided by the complainant substantial enough to warrant further investigation, including forensic examination.
Kejriwal's Communication with Khalistani Elements
Saxena has also brought to the attention of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) a letter sent by Kejriwal to one Iqbal Singh in January 2014. In this letter, Kejriwal reportedly stated that the AAP government had already recommended Bhullar's release to the President and would sympathetically consider other issues, including the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), in a time-bound manner.
Iqbal Singh, who was on a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar demanding Bhullar's release, ended his fast after receiving the letter from Kejriwal.
Alleged Payments and Meetings with Khalistani Leaders
The complaint also cites a video released by SFJ chief and wanted Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, alleging that AAP received USD 16 million from Khalistani groups between 2014 and 2022.
Additionally, it has been alleged that Kejriwal held private meetings with Khalistani leaders at Gurudwara Richmond Hills in New York during his 2014 visit. These meetings allegedly involved promises of support for Bhullar's release in exchange for financial backing from Khalistani factions.
Social media posts by Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada, a former AAP worker, further corroborate these alleged meetings.
AAP's Rebuttal and Accusations of Conspiracy
AAP leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj has vehemently denied the allegations, dismissing them as another conspiracy against Kejriwal orchestrated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Bharadwaj accuses the BJP of fearing defeat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Delhi and alleges that this is the driving force behind the allegations. He claims that the BJP had hatched a similar conspiracy prior to the 2022 Punjab assembly polls.
Kejriwal's Current Imprisonment
It is important to note that Arvind Kejriwal is currently under judicial custody in Tihar Jail in connection with a money laundering case linked to the Delhi liquor policy. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21, 2024.
