NEW DELHI:
In a startling revelation, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has uncovered a direct link between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the influential “South lobby” in the alleged excise policy scandal. According to senior AAP leader, Shri Saurabh Bharadwaj, with PM Modi and BJP leaders now rallying support for Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, father of Raghav Reddy, who is a government witness in the so-called liquor scam, the nexus becomes clearer. In the alleged liquor case, Magunta Reddy said in two statements that there was no discussion between him and Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal regarding the excise policy. But after his son’s arrest, he succumbed and gave a third statement against Shri Arvind Kejriwal. Similarly, Raghav Magunta also did not mention the CM’s name in six statements, but the seventh statement against the CM made him a government witness, and he got bail. Meanwhile, Atishi said that just like Sarath Reddy, the relationship of Magunta Reddy and his son Raghav Magunta with the BJP has now come before the country.
AAP senior leaders and Cabinet Ministers in Delhi Government, Shri Saurabh Bharadwaj and Ms. Atishi, held a joint press conference regarding the statements of witnesses in the alleged liquor scam case.
Shri Saurabh Bharadwaj stated that on Thursday, CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal informed the Rouse Avenue Court that primarily there are statements against him from 4 individuals, based on which the ED has arrested him. The CM questioned the ED through the court if these 4 statements are sufficient to arrest a sitting Chief Minister? He also elaborated to the court about those 4 statements. Everyone knows how Sarath Chandra Reddy’s father’s company Aurobindo Pharma and his other subsidiary companies paid ₹55 crores to the BJP after being arrested in a money laundering case.
Mentioning two other witnesses besides Sarath Reddy, Shri Saurabh Bharadwaj explained how this case is entirely fabricated. “CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal had informed the court that Manguta Sreenivasulu Reddy (MSR), as a Member of Parliament, sought appointment to meet Delhi CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal from his office. Ten days later, he was given time to meet the CM. On March 16, 2021, at 4.30 pm, there was a brief meeting between Manguta Reddy and the CM at the Chief Minister’s office. During that time, Manguta Reddy told CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal that he’s an MP and his family runs a trust. He needs land for that trust. Upon this, the CM told the MP since the land comes under Lieutenant Governor (LG), he should give an application to him (the CM) and he (CM) will forward it. There was only such a conversation in an official meeting between a CM and an MP.
“Subsequently, the alleged liquor case was registered and on September 16, 2022, raids were conducted at the addresses of Magunta Reddy. When his statements were taken, he said the same thing that CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal had stated before the court. This is his official statement taken by the ED on September 16, 2022. After this, Magunta Reddy’s son, Raghav Magunta, is arrested on February 10, 2023. It should be noted that Magunta Reddy has been elected as an MP for the fourth time and is a prominent liquor businessman in the South. He has had a big business from several generations. He’s a billionaire,” he added.
The senior AAP leader further said that on February 10, 2023, his son Raghav Magunta was sent to jail. Raghav Magunta was harassed in jail for 5 months. After that, his father and MP Magunta Reddy succumbed and changed his statement on July 16, 2023. Magunta Reddy gives a statement against CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal for the first time. After this, on July 18, 2023, his son Raghav Magunta got bail. Also, on October 3, 2023, he became a government witness and took apology.
Shri Saurabh Bharadwaj mentioned, “During this time, 3 statements were taken from Magunta Reddy, out of which in 2, he did not say anything against CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal, which could indicate CM’s involvement in this crime. He gave the third statement against CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal. Meanwhile, 7 statements of his son have been recorded. The same agency has recorded statements 7 times, out of which in 6 statements, he does not say anything like that. Raghav Magunta repeatedly said the same thing that CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal had stated before the court that his father had met the CM regarding the land for the trust. But when he mentions Shri Arvind Kejriwal’s name in his 7th statement, he also gets bail, and he is made a government witness too.
The AAP leader stated that everyone knows about Sarath Chandra Reddy’s relationship with the BJP. Everyone was wondering who would reveal the details of the witnesses, as Shri Arvind Kejriwal disclosed one out of four witnesses, but who will reveal the rest of the witnesses? So today, we are talking about Magunta Reddy and his son Raghav Magunta. On Friday, NDA alliance’s constituent party TDP made Magunta Reddy their MP candidate (for the upcoming Lok Sabha election). This means PM Modi and the entire BJP will seek votes for the witness’s family who gave statements against Shri Arvind Kejriwal.
“Our question is, what is this relationship called? The man who, after so much pressure, testifies against Shri Arvind Kejriwal is directly associated with the BJP. The TDP has made Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy their candidate, and he has been campaigning for the past few days. Just as CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal said in the court that the ED should also investigate that as the BJP received ₹55 crores after Sarath Reddy became an accused, similarly, the ED should also investigate Magunta Reddy and Raghav Magunta’s direct association with the BJP. Details of their mutual phone calls for years will be there. Even a small investigation will separate the fact from the fiction,” Shri Saurabh Bharadwaj affirmed.
Addressing media persons, senior AAP leader and Cabinet Minister Atishi said, “Arvind Kejriwal told in the Rouse Avenue court that his arrest is based on just four statements. Among these, the first statement is from Manish Sisodia’s secretary, Mr C. Aravind, who simply mentioned that some documents related to the excise policy were handed over to him at the Chief Minister’s residence. Nowhere in C. Aravind’s statement does it imply that Arvind Kejriwal took money or received any funds from anyone. There’s no mention of any financial transactions.”
She mentioned that the second statement is from Sarath Chandra Reddy, a well-known South lobby businessman, who, after the ED’s arrest, donated ₹55 crore to the BJP through electoral bonds.
Ms Atishi said that the statements of the other two witnesses, Magunta Srinivasalu Reddy and his son Raghav Magunta Reddy, reveals how Magunta Srinivasalu Reddy met Arvind Kejriwal for his family trust’s land. After that meeting, neither Magunta Srinivasalu Reddy nor his son Raghav Magunta Reddy had any contact with Arvind Kejriwal.
She said that when their house was raided on September 16, both father and son denied having any contact with Arvind Kejriwal. They had only met him once regarding the family trust’s land. However, the ED was not satisfied with this. Until the ED and the BJP obtained statements against Arvind Kejriwal, the ED continued to harass every witness in this case.
Ms. Atishi said that under this coercion, Raghav Magunta was arrested on February 10. Even after that, Magunta Srinivasalu Reddy persisted in claiming that there had been no discussion with Arvind Kejriwal regarding the excise policy. Raghav Magunta Reddy’s statements also repeatedly affirmed that there had been no discussion with Arvind Kejriwal regarding the excise policy. However, when Raghav Magunta Reddy spent five months in jail, both father and son gave up. In their third statement on July 16th, they spoke out against Arvind Kejriwal, and on July 18th, their son was granted bail.
She said that this shows that until statements against Kejriwal are obtained, every witness is intimidated, and as soon as statements against Arvind Kejriwal come in, the witness testimonies stop, and the ED records the statements in its investigation.
Ms Atishi said, “Just as the connection between Sarath Reddy and the BJP was revealed through electoral bonds, the relationship between Magunta Srinivasalu Reddy and his son Raghav Magunta Reddy with the BJP has also come to light. Both father and son joined the BJP’s ally party, the TDP, on February 28. And yesterday, on March 29, Magunta Srinivasalu Reddy received a ticket from the TDP to contest the Lok Sabha elections.”
She said that over the past two years, through BJP’s press conferences and planted news by the ED, it’s evident from the arguments of ED lawyers that the ‘South lobby’ has a direct connection with the BJP. An important figure of the South lobby, Sarath Reddy, donates ₹55 crores to the BJP, and another significant liquor businessman of the South lobby, Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, and his son Raghav Magunta Reddy are involved with the BJP’s ally, the TDP, and Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy contests elections on an NDA ticket.
Ms Atishi said that the direct relationship of the liquor businessmen of the South lobby is with the BJP. “Today, I challenge the ED that if it is truly an independent investigative agency, then it should bring on record all these facts. Investigate the relationship between the BJP and the South lobby, and present the relationship of the BJP and South’s liquor businessmen in front of the court by making the BJP an accused in its charge sheet,” she said.
