The Delhi Lieutenant Governor, VK Saxena, has recommended a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into allegations that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government received funding from 'Sikhs for Justice', a banned Khalistani group based in the US. The allegations suggest that AAP received USD 16 million from pro-Khalistani groups for facilitating the release of Devendra Pal Bhullar, a convict in the 1993 Delhi blasts case, and for espousing pro-Khalistani sentiments.
AAP leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj vehemently denied the allegations, dismissing them as "another conspiracy" against Kejriwal. According to the Lt Governor's Secretariat, Saxena received a complaint regarding the funding allegations, prompting him to recommend an investigation, including forensic examination, due to the seriousness of the accusations against a Chief Minister and political funding from a banned outfit.
The complaint also refers to a letter written by Kejriwal to one Iqbal Singh in January 2014, mentioning the AAP government's recommendation to the President for Bhullar's release and other related matters. Additionally, it alleges that Kejriwal held closed-door meetings with Khalistani leaders during his visit to Gurudwara Richmond Hills, New York in 2014, promising Bhullar's release in exchange for financial backing from Khalistani factions to AAP.
Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada, a former AAP worker, shared pictures of Kejriwal's purported meeting with Khalistani leaders on social media. Kejriwal, who has been in judicial custody since April 1 in connection with a money laundering case linked to the Delhi liquor policy, has denied the allegations.
AAP has rebuffed the allegations, with Bharadwaj accusing the BJP of orchestrating a political conspiracy ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in Delhi. He alleged that the BJP was behind the conspiracy, fearing defeat in all seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital.
