A day after his resignation as a minister in the Delhi government and quitting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Raaj Kumar Anand emphasized on Thursday that his decision was not influenced by any external pressure but rather stemmed from his inability to tolerate what he perceived as "injustice." The MLA from Patel Nagar also maintained an air of ambiguity regarding his future plans, stating that "politics is a game of possibilities, and the future holds unpredictable paths." Meanwhile, amidst speculation, AAP leaders suggest he may align with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
On quitting under pressure
Anand said the allegation that he quit the AAP under pressure is wrong and also refuted the claim of AAP leaders that he had received a notice from the Enforcement Directorate (ED). "I never received any notice from the ED," he told PTI Videos and added that the agency officials raided his residence in November last year to trace the money trail in the "liquor scam", but nothing was found and the matter was closed.
Reason for his resignation
Anand said he resigned because he was "not allowed" to discharge his duties as a minister and the work of his community was not being done. Alleging that Dalit leaders are not given important posts either in the AAP or in government agencies, such as the agricultural produce marketing committees, he said, "I was not able to tolerate this injustice." Anand, who held the portfolios of social welfare and SCs and STs among other portfolios in the Delhi government, asserted that neither is he retiring from politics nor going anywhere else.
On joining BJP?
Asked if he plans to join any other party in the future, Anand said, "Nobody knows what lies in the future, but politics is a game of possibilities. Describing himself as a soldier of B R Ambedkar, he asserted, "I will continue to follow his slogan -- pay back to the society." Incidentally, the government bungalow occupied by Anand in the Civil Lines area is gaining notoriety as he is the third Dalit minister of the AAP government to resign. Earlier, Sandeep Kumar and Rajendra Pal Gautam -- who occupied the bungalow number 4 in Civil Lines -- resigned after courting controversies.
Big jolt to AAP
On Wednesday, Anand resigned from the cabinet and the party, alleging that it is embroiled in corruption. Addressing a press conference following his resignation, he also alleged that Dalits were not given representation in the party. The latest setback to the party came a day after the Delhi High Court upheld Chief Minister Kejriwal's arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.
(With PTI inputs)
ALSO READ: Raaj Kumar Anand, who was raided by ED in last year, takes anti-corruption stance | 10 points
