AAP Appoints Raghav Chadha as Party Leader in Rajya Sabha, Replaces Sanjay Singh

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has appointed MP Raghav Chadha as the leader of the party in Rajya Sabha, replacing Sanjay Singh.

On October 4, Sanjay Singh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the alleged Delhi Excise Policy.

In a letter to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, accessed by the news agency, PTI, the AAP party leadership said that in the absence of Sanjay Singh, who has “health issues”, Raghav Chadha will henceforth be the party’s leader in the upper house.

Sources in the Rajya Sabha secretariat confirmed to the news agency that a letter has been received from the AAP regarding appointing Chadha as its floor leader.

The letter is with the RS Secretary General for implementation. Chadha is one of the youngest members of the Rajya Sabha. The AAP has a total of 10 MPs in the Upper House currently.

SANJAY SINGH ARREST BY ED

Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh was arrested after the ED raided his premises in connection with the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case. The 51-year-old leader is the third AAP member who has been arrested.

The ED raids began before 7 a.m. when the MP was home with his wife, parents, domestic help, and his pet dogs, fish, and birds. The ED raids came months after the agency raided three of his associates — Sarvesh Mishra, Ajit, and Vivek Tyagi – over their alleged involvement in the purported Delhi liquor scam.

ALLEGATIONS IN DELHI’S EXCISE POLICY

It is alleged that the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licenses to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP.

The policy was subsequently scrapped and the Delhi lieutenant governor recommended a CBI probe, following which the ED registered a case under the PMLA.

(with PTI inputs)