The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday carried out raids at the residence of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bhardwaj in connection with the alleged ₹5,590-crore hospital construction scam. The searches were conducted at 13 locations linked to Bhardwaj and firms that were awarded contracts for the project.

According to officials, the case pertains to hospital projects approved by the Delhi government in 2018–19 for the construction of 24 new hospitals. The projects were to be completed within six months, but many remain unfinished even after three years. Allegations of irregularities in awarding contracts have led to ED action.

AAP Calls Raids “Politically Motivated”

Reacting sharply, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal accused the BJP government of misusing central agencies. “ED raid at Saurabh Bharadwaj’s house is another case of misuse of agencies by the Modi government. The way AAP is being targeted, no party has been targeted in history,” he said.

Former Delhi CM Atishi also linked the raids to the controversy surrounding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s educational qualifications. “Why was there a raid at Saurabh ji’s place today? Because questions are being raised on Modi ji’s degree across the country. This is being done only to divert attention,” she said, calling the case “false and baseless.”

AAP MP Sanjay Singh echoed the charge, saying the raids were meant to silence AAP’s criticism of the government. “The policy of Modi government is to file false cases against AAP leaders and put them in jail one by one,” he alleged.

Former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said the timing of the raid was not a coincidence. “Yesterday a big revelation was made about the Prime Minister’s degree. BJP lied about it. To divert attention from that, ED has conducted these raids,” he claimed.

Congress Also Questions ED Action

Congress leader Sandeep Dixit said the case reflected the BJP’s style of politics. “Important anti-corruption cases which should be investigated by CBI are handed over to ED. BJP uses ED to threaten and influence political parties. These raids are not just about corruption but also about pressuring AAP,” he said.

The Case So Far

• In 2018–19, the Delhi government approved hospital construction projects worth ₹5,590 crore.

• The hospitals, many with ICU facilities, were to be completed in six months.

• Several projects remain incomplete after three years, with allegations of financial irregularities.

• ED is investigating suspected money laundering linked to these projects.