Top Indian opposition leaders accused of financial crimes

FILE PHOTO: Rahul Gandhi, a senior leader of India’s main opposition Congress party addresses his supporters in a public meeting during Rahul’s 66-day long “Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra”, or Unite India Justice March, in Jhalod town, Gujarat state, India, March 7, 2024. REUTERS/Amit Dave

MUMBAI (Reuters) -India’s financial crime agency arrested Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of the capital territory of Delhi on Thursday over allegations of graft related to the city’s liquor policy.

Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which rules Delhi and the nearby state of Punjab, has dismissed the allegations against him and says it is a politically-motivated smear campaign.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) deny any political interference.

Here is a list of some other key leaders, all of whom oppose Modi, who have been investigated over corruption or financial crimes.

SONIA AND RAHUL GANDHI, MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, CONGRESS

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi were both questioned in 2022 by the financial crime agency which is investigating allegations of money laundering against the Gandhi family. The family denies wrongdoing.

FILE PHOTO: Delhi Chief Minister and leader of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Arvind Kejriwal waves to his supporters during celebrations at the party headquarters in New Delhi, India, February 11, 2020. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

MANISH SISODIA, AAM AADMI PARTY:

Sisodia, the second-in-command of AAP, which wrested control of Delhi’s city government from Congress in 2013, was arrested last year on allegations of corruption in the same case as Kejriwal. He has been held on remand in prison since.

HEMANT SOREN, JHARKHAND MUKTI MORCHA:

Soren, former chief minister of the eastern, mineral-rich state of Jharkhand, was arrested in January in a case related to money-laundering and illegal acquiring of land.

Soren, who was chief minister, resigned a few hours before the Enforcement Directorate, India’s federal financial crime-fighting agency, arrested him. He denies any wrongdoing.

K. KAVITHA, BHARAT RASHTRA SAMITHI:

Kavitha, a legislator in the southern state of Telangana and the daughter of the state’s previous chief minister, is also being investigated by the financial crime agency on allegations of money laundering in connection with the investigation into the Delhi liquor policy, and was arrested by the ED earlier this month. She denies the allegations.

BHUPESH BAGHEL, CONGRESS:

Baghel, the former chief minister of the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, was charged by the ED in a graft case, local media reported. Baghel has denied the charges and said the case against him is politically motivated.

ABHISHEK BANERJEE, TRINAMOOL CONGRESS

Banerjee, a lawmaker from the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, has been named and summoned by the ED in several cases, most recently, one related to a government school recruitment. He has denied the allegations.

LALU PRASAD YADAV, RASHTRIYA JANATA DAL

Yadav, the former chief minister of the northern state of Bihar, one of the poorest in the country, is accused of asking for land in return for jobs in the railways. He has denied the allegations.

(Reporting by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Alex Richardson)