With the party supremo and Delhi Chief Minister  Arvind Kejriwal behind bars, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday was hit by fresh trouble with one of its Ministers who was holding several departments including social welfare, Raaj Kumar Anand resigning from the post and party.

He claimed that the AAP was born out of a movement against corruption, but today this party is mired in the “same quicksand of graft.”  Anand, who represents Patel Nagar Assembly constituency, alleged that Dalits were not given representation in the party.

Addressing a Press conference at his residence after tendering his resignation to party general secretary Sandeep Pathak, Anand said, “I had entered politics when Kejriwal had said if its politics changes, the country will change. But today, I say with much regret, that politics did not change but political leaders did. The AAP was born out of a movement against corruption, but today this party is mired in the same quicksand of graft.” He also took a swipe at Kejriwal who is in Tihar jail after being remanded in judicial custody in an excise policy-linked money laundering case and has failed to get any relief from the Delhi High Court.

“From the Jantar Mantar, Kejriwal had said the country will change once politics changes. The politics hasn’t changed but the politician has changed,” Anand, who is an MLA from the Patel Nagar constituency, said.

Meanwhile, Anand is under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate and DRI in an alleged money laundering case relating to unaccounted business investments in hawala payments sent to China in 2023.

In November last year, after conducting searches at 13 places, including Anand’s premises, the ED alleged that evidence relating to unaccounted business investments and hawala payments sent to China in 2023 was recovered from some of his key employees.

This, according to the agency, was apart from `74 lakh in cash along with various incriminating documents/digital records that were also recovered.

After his resignation, the Aam Aadmi Party hit back at the BJP, claiming that the resignation of Anand vindicated its stand that Kejriwal’s arrest was aimed at finishing the party.  Addressing a Press conference, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the BJP was using the ED and the CBI to “break our Ministers and MLAs”.  “It is ‘agnipariksha’ (trial by fire) of AAP Ministers and MLAs,” he said.

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that Anand may have been threatened to quit AAP.

“Time and again we said the intention behind arresting Kejriwal was to break the party and Governments of Delhi and Punjab. Many of our colleagues will feel that we hate Anand and will call him dishonest and cheater. We will not say any such thing....  “Not everyone is Sanjay Singh. I believe that he was scared,” Bharadwaj said.

The Social Welfare Minister further accused the AAP of not giving due respect to Dalits and individuals from backward communities in the Kejriwal-led party’s organisation. “This party doesn’t respect Dalit MLAs, Councillors and Ministers. In such circumstances, all Dalits feel cheated. We live in an inclusive society, but it is not wrong to talk about proportion. It is difficult for me to remain in the party with all these things, hence I am resigning from the post,” Anand said.

“They (AAP) put Babasaheb (Ambedkar)’s picture in each Press conference, each Government office but when it comes to following his ideals. Reservation is mandated by law but when it comes to actual representation - not even a single one of our 13 MPs is a Dalit or someone from the backward communities,” he said.

In response to a query on the timing of his resignation, Anand said, “It is not about timing. Till yesterday, we were under the impression that we are being framed, but after the High Court verdict, it seems that there is something wrong at our end.”

Reacting to the development, Delhi BJP secretary and New Delhi MP candidate Bansuri Swaraj said the resignation of Anand, who was with Kejriwal, testifies that today both the Aam Aadmi Party and Kejriwal himself have lost their political credibility in Delhi.

Addressing the Press conference, Swaraj read out the portion of the recent Delhi High Court order which clearly stated how Kejriwal used the money from the liquor scam for the Goa elections. She said after yesterday’s decision by the court, many people’s illusions about Kejriwal have been shattered, many people’s conscience is bothering them, and it is a major reason behind Anand’s resignation.