More trouble for Arvind Kejriwal
Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Monday recommended a probe by NIA (National Investigation Agency) against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly receiving political funding from banned terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ). Making his recommendation to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Saxena suggested that since the allegations are against the jailed Chief Minister, and are related to the alleged funding of a political party, amounting to millions of dollars, from a terrorist organization banned in India, the “electronic devices adduced by the complainant requires investigation including forensic examination”.
The complainants referred to the contents of a video — in an enclosed pen drive — purportedly featuring Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, wherein he has alleged that the Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party received a whopping amount of USD 16 million in funding from Khalistani groups between 2014 and 2022. The complaint was made by Ashoo Mongia, National General Secretary of World Hindu Federation India, along with references to ‘X’ posts made by former Aam Aadmi Party worker Munish Kumar Raizada.
Earlier Khalistani terrorist and SFJ leader, Gurpatwant Pannun had claimed that both Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann went back on their promise of releasing his associates Jagdish Singh, Manjit Singh, and Devender Pal Bhullar. It was also said that in 2014, an alleged secretive meeting took place between Kejriwal and pro-Khalistani Sikhs at New York’s Gurudwara Richmond Hills, where in exchange for Bhullar’s release, he asked for “substantial financial backing from Khalistani factions to AAP”.
Mongia said that the former AAP leader — Munish Kumar Raizada — shared a picture of the meeting between Kejriwal and other Sikh leaders on the erstwhile Twitter. His posts also confirmed that the AAP national convenor allegedly held public meetings as well as closed-door meetings with pro-Khalistani leaders in New York.
The LG’s recommendation letter noted the mention of Kejriwal seeking clemency for Bhullar from former President Pranab Mukherjee. The Delhi CM, in a letter dated January 27, 2014, addressed to one Iqbal Singh said, “Our government is sympathetic to the issue and would take all necessary steps to ensure full justice…We will try to find the solutions soonest.”
“Delhi government has already recommended to the President, the release of Prof. Bhullar and would also be working on other issues including the formation of SIT, etc., in a sympathetic and time-bound manner,” the letter signed by Kejriwal read.
Reacting to Saxena’s recommendation, AAP Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that this is “another big conspiracy against CM Kejriwal at the behest of BJP”. The saffron camp “is in panic due to fear of defeat”, Bharadwaj said, adding that they will lose all seven seats in the national capital in the Lok Sabha elections. Bharadwaj also termed this to be a “complete misuse of constitutional office of LG”.
Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), an organization banned for its anti-India activities. Formed in 2007, the New York-based organization advocates for an independent Sikh state called Khalistan to be carved out of India. The SFJ calls itself a human rights advocacy group, with offices in Washington, London, and Toronto. Gurpatwant Pannun is the self-proclaimed general counsel of the outlawed organisation, SFJ.
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