AAP will end ‘raid raj’, says Arvind Kejriwal

National convener of the Aam Aadmi Party and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal vowed on Sunday to put an end to “raid raj” in Punjab, once his party forms the government in 2017.

Speaking on the occasion of Maharaja Agarsen Jayanti in Jallandhar, Mr Kejriwal, said that after forming the government in Delhi, the AAP had already abolished the “raid raj” in the national capital.

“It is our observation that raid raj, instead of curbing corruption, encourages corrupt bureaucrats and inspectors. Besides, the practice is also used to mop up adequate revenue for the government.”

Therefore, it is very important that the government must discourage “raid raj” in any state, Mr Kejriwal said, adding that during corrupt officers, instead of filling the coffers of the government, fill their own pockets.

“When we came to power in Delhi, there were about 150 raids were being conducted in a month, which we stopped, and now raids are being allowed only in case the department has ample evidence against those that the raid is to be conducted,” he said.

Mr Kejriwal said that he was informed by members of the business community that the income tax department is conducting raids in all over India to meet their target of recovering black money.

“Instead of conducting such raids, IT sleuths should have raided Vijay Malya, and I am sure their target of at least Rs 7,000 crore could have been fulfilled,” he added.

“Giant corporate houses are being let free for loot, which indicates the government’s intention on the issue of black money”, the chief minister of Delhi said.

Training his gun towards the issue of widespread drug abuse in Punjab, Mr Kejriwal said “We have to end this menace of drugs in Punjab and once it is ended, there would be a dire need of employment for rehabilitated youth. The business community can help the state to give jobs to such youth so that they may not again get trapped in drug abuse.”

Mr Kejriwal had earlier said that the BJP used to be tagged as a “party of the business community”, but now that tag has been given to the AAP, he said, due to the business-friendly policies of the AAP-led Delhi government, which reduced value added tax (VAT) on many items from 12.5 per cent to five per cent, that too without being asked by businessmen.