CBI raids: BJP slams Arvind Kejriwal for calling PM Modi a coward, demands apology

NEW DELHI: A furious BJP today lashed out at Arvind Kejriwal for his "disgraceful" remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said it was shameful that the CM who came from the "womb of" anti-graft stir was protecting an officer involved in a "textbook case of corruption".

Demanding an apology from the Delhi Chief Minister for calling Modi a "coward and psychopath", Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad rubbished his claim that CBI raided his office, saying it was not even "touched" by the agency.

Addressing a press conference, he also questioned Kejriwal over the appointment of an officer facing corruption allegations, asking why had he not done due diligence?

Prasad said the IAS officer, Rajendra Kumar, who is principle secretary to Kejriwal, is accused of helping a private firm in getting Delhi government's contracts wherever he was posted and CBI raided his office and home after getting a court warrant.

"Which law says that CBI should have informed the chief minister before raiding his officer's office? There is no such law.... You (Kejriwal) would announce names of corrupt people in your press conferences and it was fair and here CBI is acting as per law and you claim it is bad," he said.

Prasad noted that the CBI had raided 14 places and only two of them belonged to Kumar.

The charges date back prior to the AAP government coming to power, he said.

"A textbook case of corruption is being given political colour for extraneous reasons.... The use of such expressions for our popular prime minister is totally uncalled for, unwarranted, disgraceful and condemnable," he said.

What made Kejriwal's defence of the officer more "shameful" was that he claimed to be an "epitome of virtue" having come out of the "womb of a fight against corruption".

CBI had today morning raided Kumar's office in a corruption case that led the AAP chief to call Modi a "coward and psychopath". Kejriwal claimed that his office was raided which was denied by the CBI as well as the government.