JOIN USFor how long Kejriwal will protect 'desh ka gaddar': Smriti Irani on CM backing Satyendar Jain
Union Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday slammed Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal for giving a "clean chit" to state Health Minister Satyendar Jain, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over corruption charges.
Addressing a press conference at BJP headquarters, the senior BJP leader asked for how long Kejriwal will protect "desh ka gaddar (traitor)" Jain.
Irani's remarks come a day after Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal backed Jain, saying the case by ED is "completely fake and politically motivated". Kejriwal asserted that his government and the Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) are "hardcore honest".
Irani fired off a number of questions at Kejriwal as she shared details of allegations against Jain to ask the chief minister if they were true or not. Naming four shell companies allegedly owned by the accused and his family members, the minister sought to know whether it is true that Jain is the owner of all the shell companies listed in the case.
She asked Kejriwal if it was true that Jain laundered over Rs 16.39 crore with the help of hawala operators. The Income Tax Department had rejected Jain's contention that the money was owned by his associates, and held that it was him to whom the "ill-gotten" belonged, Irani said. A division bench of the Delhi High Court in 2019 had agreed with the I-T Department's findings, she noted.
"Is it true Jain has more than 200 bigha of land purchased in the vicinity of unauthorised colonies out of this laundered and unaccounted income of 16.39 crore in the name of shell companies? Is it true that providing a huge return in investment in land in the vicinity of unauthorised colonies is the real reason why the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) regularises these colonies?" she asked.
She alleged that the Delhi CM is trying to defend a person who has serious corruption allegations.
Satyendra Jain was arrested by the ED on Monday (May 30) based on an FIR filed by CBI against Jain in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The AAP minister is accused of laundering money through four shell companies that are allegedly linked to him. Satyendar Jain has been remanded to ED’s custody till June 9.