ED raids against Saurabh Bharadwaj expose AAP govt's 'medical scam': BJP

The BJP on Tuesday said the Enforcement Directorate's raids against AAP Delhi unit chief and former health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj have exposed the "medical scam" under the previous Arvind Kejriwal government.

The AAP government in Delhi was involved in the "scam" in the construction of hospitals and purchase of medicines and equipment. An investigation into the "scam" in purchase of medicines is already being conducted by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said in a video statement.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is searching the premises of Bharadwaj and some private contractors as part of a money laundering probe linked to an alleged scam in health infrastructure projects during the previous AAP government in Delhi, official sources said.

At least 13 locations in the National Capital Region are being searched under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, they said.

"We have said it earlier also that the previous AAP government led by Arvind Kejriwal looted Delhi through scams. Now the party is trying to fool people in other states," Sachdeva said.

The ED raids against Bharadwaj have exposed the "medical scam" under the previous AAP government, he said.

Delhi BJP MLA Harish Khurana alleged that the AAP government paid contractors' bills, even though no work was done on the ground for the construction of hospitals.

The ED investigation against Bharadwaj (45) stems from an FIR registered by Delhi's Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in June.

The ACB booked Bharadwaj, his party colleague and ex-health minister Satyendar Jain, private contractors and unknown government officials for alleged corruption in health infrastructure projects by the former AAP government.

The AAP on Tuesday said raids against Bharadwaj were an attempt to divert attention from questions being raised about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree and that the case against the party leader was false.