Kejriwal Slams ED Raids on AAP Workers, Alleges Political Vendetta
Synopsis
AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal alleged on 16 June 2026 that the Enforcement Directorate, having found nothing in raids on senior party leaders, has now targeted grassroots workers nationwide. He called the move cowardly and claimed real black money lies with those who control the agency.
Key Takeaways
AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal posted on 16 June 2026 alleging ED raids on junior party workers across India.
Kejriwal said the raids followed earlier actions against senior AAP leaders that yielded nothing incriminating.
He described the move as an act of political cowardice and linked it to what he called the government's humiliation of India internationally.
He alleged that the real source of black money lies with individuals who 'buy MLAs and MPs' — and that the ED answers to those same people.
The ED has been at the centre of AAP-related legal battles since at least 2023 , including the Delhi Excise Policy Case which led to senior party arrests.
Opposition parties have since 2014 alleged partisan use of central investigative agencies against non-BJP political formations.
AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday, 16 June 2026 alleged that the Enforcement Directorate had launched raids on numerous junior party workers across the country after failing to find incriminating evidence against senior Aam Aadmi Party leaders in earlier actions. Posting on X, Kejriwal called the move an act of political cowardice and linked it to what he described as the government's humiliation of India before the United States.
Context
In the post, Kejriwal wrote: 'हमारे कई नेताओं पर रेड मारने पर जब कुछ नहीं मिला तो आज ED पार्टी देश भर में हमारे कई छोटे छोटे कार्यकर्ताओं पर रेड मारने पहुंची है।' ('When nothing was found in raids on many of our leaders, the ED party has today arrived to raid many of our small workers across the country.') He urged all workers to stay strong, adding: 'These people are cowards, they are spineless.'
Kejriwal also alleged that those responsible 'consider it their bravery to have raids conducted on ordinary people after humiliating the country before Trump in front of the whole world.' The post drew a sharp contrast between what he framed as international embarrassment and domestic enforcement actions against grassroots activists.
Policy Backdrop
The Enforcement Directorate operates under the Union Finance Ministry and is mandated to investigate money laundering and foreign exchange violations. Since 2023, it has been at the centre of a sustained legal and political controversy involving AAP, most prominently through its probe into the Delhi Excise Policy Case, which resulted in the arrests of senior party figures including Manish Sisodia and Arvind Kejriwal himself.
Multiple opposition parties have, since 2014, publicly alleged that central investigative agencies disproportionately target non-BJP-governed states and opposition leaders while leaving those aligned with the ruling dispensation untouched. The ED has consistently denied acting on political direction.
Stakeholders and Impact
Kejriwal's post was addressed directly to AAP workers at the ground level, urging them to hold firm. The phrasing 'छोटे छोटे कार्यकर्ता' ('small, ordinary workers') was a deliberate rhetorical choice to frame the raids as disproportionate and punitive rather than evidence-driven.
In a pointed aside, he alleged that the real repository of 'black money' in the country would be found 'in the homes of two people who buy MLAs and MPs by the dozen every other day — but the ED answers to those very people.' The statement, while not naming individuals, is a clear reference to the broader opposition narrative of political horse-trading and agency capture that has featured across Indian politics for decades.
What's Next
Legal challenges to ED summons and search operations by AAP are likely to continue through the courts. Parliamentary debate on proposed reforms to the mandate and oversight of central investigative agencies remains a live issue. Whether the raids described by Kejriwal result in any formal charges will be the key metric watched by both the party and political observers in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
But the shift in targeting — from senior leaders to grassroots workers — marks a tactical escalation worth noting. If the raids are as widespread as alleged, they signal either a genuine investigative expansion or a pressure campaign designed to strain the party's organisational bandwidth ahead of electoral cycles. The international reference, linking domestic enforcement to India's posture before the United States, is an attempt to widen the political cost beyond party supporters to a broader nationalist audience. The ED's institutional credibility will increasingly hinge on whether its actions produce prosecutable evidence or remain mired in allegations of political instrumentalisation.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Kejriwal say the ED is raiding AAP workers?
Kejriwal alleged that after raids on senior AAP leaders found nothing, the Enforcement Directorate turned its attention to ordinary grassroots workers across the country. He described this as a politically motivated act of cowardice.
What is the Enforcement Directorate and why is it controversial?
The Enforcement Directorate is a central agency under India's Finance Ministry that investigates money laundering and economic offences. Opposition parties have repeatedly alleged since 2014 that it disproportionately targets non-BJP leaders and states.
What is the Delhi Excise Policy Case?
The Delhi Excise Policy Case is a 2022-2024 investigation into alleged irregularities in Delhi's liquor licensing policy. It led to the arrests of senior AAP leaders including Manish Sisodia and Arvind Kejriwal by the ED and CBI.
Who did Kejriwal accuse of holding black money?
Without naming individuals, Kejriwal alleged that the real black money in the country would be found 'in the homes of two people' who regularly buy MLAs and MPs — and that the ED is controlled by those very people.
What did Kejriwal say about Trump in his post?
Kejriwal alleged that the government 'humiliated the country before Trump in front of the whole world' and then turned around to conduct raids on ordinary AAP workers, framing the two actions as equally shameful.
