BJP leader Smriti Irani addresses a press conference in at party office in Delhi
Highlights
- Satyendar Jain, who holds various portfolios in the Delhi govt, was arrested by ED on May 31
- Kejriwal is at the receiving end of criticism for defending the arrested Minister
- BJP has accused Kejriwal of shielding a 'gaddar' who allegedly deceived treasury & people
BJP vs AAP: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for giving a clean chit to the city's Health Minister Satyendar Jain who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.
Union Minister Smriti Irani accused Kejriwal of assuming the role of a 'judge' to declare that the case against Jain was 'fake. "Arvind Kejriwal gave a clean chit to a corrupt person yesterday," she said and questioned why the 'gaddar' AAP leader was still a Minister in the Delhi government.
Irani claimed that Jain himself declared under Income Disclosures in 2016 that he indulged in money laundering of Rs 16.39 crores.
"Is it true that Satyendar Jain is the owner of shell companies - Indo Metallic Impex Pvt Ltd, Mangalyatan Projects Pvt Ltd and others and holds these companies along with his wife?" Irani asked while alleging that Jain 'laundered Rs 16.39 crore through shell companies between 2010-11 and 2015-16'.
"Is it true that the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax rejected that the true owners of Rs 16.39 crores were neither Ankush Jain nor Vaibhav Jain but Satyendar Jain himself was the owner of this black money?" Irani asked Kejriwal.
She alleged that Jain has acquired 200 bigha land around various colonies in Delhi through the 'shell companies.
"Is it true that Satyendra Jain is a prime accused in the Prevention of Corruption Act? The person who has been accused of corruption is still a minister in your government. You said that corruption tantamounts to 'gaddari'. How long will 'desh ka gaddar' Satyandar Jain receive your support?" she posed a question to Kejriwal.
Kejriwal defends Jain
Kejriwal had yesterday dubbed the ED case against Cabinet colleague Satyendar Jain as 'completely fake' and 'politically motivated. The national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that he had personally studied Jain's money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate and exuded confidence that the Minister's stand will be vindicated in court.
"I have studied the case against Jain. It is completely fake and motivated by political reasons. We have faith in the judiciary. Jain is following the path of truth, and he will come out clean," Kejriwal had said, adding that he himself would have taken action against Jain if there were even one per cent substance in the case.
Jain's case
Jain was arrested by the Enforcement Department (ED) in a case of money laundering under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Monday evening. Jain, considered to be a close confidant of Kejriwal, is a Minister in AAP's Delhi government and holds the Health and other portfolios.
Jain was summoned by the ED seven times earlier but never arrested. Officials said that he was taken into custody in a case connected to hawala transactions related to a Kolkata-based company. On Tuesday, Special CBI Court Judge Geetanjali Goel of the Rouse Avenue Court sent Jain to the ED's custody till June 9.
READ MORE: Case against Satyendar Jain completely fake, politically motivated: Kejriwal
READ MORE: Satyendar Jain sent to ED custody till June 9 in alleged money laundering case
