CBI Investigations: BJP Claims AAP's Durgesh Pathak Faces Consequences for 'Misconduct'
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Synopsis
The AAP criticized the CBI's actions against Durgesh Pathak, while the BJP defended the investigations, asserting accountability for corruption. Sachdeva challenged AAP's claims of innocence and alleged misuse of funds in Goa elections. The AAP retaliated, accusing the government of targeting opposition leaders ahead of the Gujarat elections.
Key Takeaways
- AAP criticizes CBI raids on Durgesh Pathak.
- BJP defends investigations into alleged corruption.
- Sachdeva challenges AAP to prove innocence.
- Claims of misuse of funds in Goa elections.
- AAP accuses government of political targeting.
New Delhi, April 17 (NationPress) As the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) vehemently criticized the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) searches targeting its Gujarat election co-incharge Durgesh Pathak, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asserted that investigative agencies are justified in pursuing individuals involved in corruption and 'middlemen tied to kickbacks'.
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva remarked, “If they have not committed any wrongdoing, as they assert, what are they afraid of?”
“There is no merit in complaining about actions taken by probe agencies if they are engaged in dalali (kickbacks) and other misdeeds,” he emphasized, challenging the AAP leader to demonstrate his innocence in a court of law.
He accused the AAP of utilizing funds misappropriated from Delhi as part of the liquor scam to finance its campaign in Goa, during the time when Pathak was overseeing political affairs in that region.
“The bribes and illicit funds amassed by the AAP were disguised as donations in financial records and funneled into their campaign for the Goa elections,” he stated.
According to Sachdeva, the AAP has set a dismal precedent by misusing donations, claiming that Pathak’s alleged corruption surpasses that of Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, who misappropriated funds meant for cattle feed.
The Delhi BJP President asserted that AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal has assembled a group of 'corrupt' and 'tainted' leaders, and when the CBI acts against them, the party resorts to complaints.
The CBI conducted a raid at Pathak’s residence in Delhi linked to a case concerning the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
Following the raid, the AAP launched a fierce counter-offensive against the Union government, accusing it of weaponizing central agencies to target opposition leaders ahead of the 2027 Gujarat Assembly elections.
In a statement on the social media platform X, AAP leader and former Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj remarked: "The Central government has begun to intimidate the AAP leaders through the CBI."
"In the last Gujarat Assembly elections, the BJP, threatened by the AAP’s presence, arrested our leader. Now that Durgesh Pathak has been tasked with overseeing the Gujarat AAP election, the CBI has raided his residence," Bharadwaj noted.
