Khalistani Funding Allegations Against Arvind Kejriwal Serious: Govt Sources As LG Seeks NIA Probe | Exclusive
(From left) Delhi LG VK Saxena, CM Arvind Kejriwal and SFJ chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. (PTI/File)
As Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Monday recommended a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe against Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly receiving political funding from banned terror outfit ‘Sikhs for Justice’ (SFJ), which the party has vehemently denied, top government sources said the allegations are “serious and need to be substantiated”.
AAP leader and Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj termed it “another big conspiracy against Kejriwal at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)”. “The saffron camp is in panic due to fear of defeat. They will lose all seven seats in the national capital in the Lok Sabha elections.”
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“The Sikhs For Justice made serious allegations against Kejriwal in March. The allegations came from a terrorist. We want to substantiate the charges as these are very serious allegations against a sitting Chief Minister. As the NIA is the federal investigation arm, looking at the scope of investigations, the LG recommended an NIA probe,” sources said.
Led by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, SFJ is an organisation banned by the Indian government under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for its anti-India activities. Pannun is a US citizen who is misusing his access in the UK and Canada and is responsible for acts of terrorism in multiple countries. While the AAP did not give an official response to Pannun’s allegations in March, party sources had then called them “baseless”.
Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 for his alleged involvement in money laundering linked to the now scrapped Delhi Excise policy. He is lodged in Tihar jail. Hearing Kejriwal’s plea, the Supreme Court on Friday said that it may consider the question of interim bail for Kejriwal because of the elections.
ALLEGATIONS MADE BY PANNUN IN MARCH
- Pannun had alleged that Kejriwal met pro-Khalistan groups at Gurdwara Richmond Hills in New York in 2014 for financial support.
- Pannun had alleged that from 2014 to 2022, Kejriwal and AAP got 16 million USD in donations in return for going all out in support of pro-Khalistan groups.
- Pannun had alleged that Kejriwal had promised to release Devinder Pal Bhullar, accused of 1993 Delhi bomb blast, which killed nine and injured 31 outside the Youth Congress headquarters, against the financial support. Bhullar’s capital punishment was commuted to life in 2014.
THE COMPLAINT AND LG’s RESPONSE
The complaint was made by Ashoo Mongia, National General Secretary of World Hindu Federation India, along with references of X posts by former AAP worker Munish Kumar Raizada. It refers to a video in a pen drive purportedly featuring Pannun making the allegations.
Making his recommendation to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Saxena said that the “electronic devices adduced by the complainant requires investigation including forensic examination”.
Raizada, meanwhile, has “wholeheartedly” welcomed the LG’s recommendation and told CNN-News18 that AAP leader Sanjay Singh used to frequently visit Canada.
The LG’s recommendation letter mentioned Kejriwal’s alleged note seeking clemency for Bhullar from former President Pranab Mukherjee in 2014.
Earlier, in January, Pannun had also alleged that both Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann went back on their promise of releasing his associates Jagdish Singh, Manjit Singh and Bhullar.
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