‘Don’t want to work with corrupt people’, AAP Minister Raaj Kumar Anand resigns from party

New Delhi: A day after the Delhi High Court dismissed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest by the ED in the excise policy case, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Minister Raaj Kumar Anand resigned from the party, saying he doesn’t want to associate his name with ‘corrupt people’.

“We got life lessons from B.R. Ambedkar’s works, and that is why I joined politics and became an MLA. Despite being a businessman, I became a minister and served the people. I stood with the Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal as he talked about following Baba Saheb’s ideals,” Anand, who was the Social Welfare Minister in the Delhi Cabinet, told mediapersons on Wednesday.

He also said that Ambedkar’s photo is placed at every government office, but when it comes to working on his ideas, nothing is done.

“Reservation is a constitutional compulsion. Yet, we don’t have a single Dalit or backward class leader representing the AAP in the Rajya Sabha,” Anand said.

He also said that when it comes to reservation, the AAP always remains silent.

“In recent days, many people were recruited in the Assembly on high salaries, but no place was given to Dalits. This made me very angry… I cannot work openly here anymore despite being the Social Welfare Minister,” Anand claimed.

“I am resigning from my post because I don’t want to work with corrupt people. There is no respect for Dalit MLAs, councillors, or ministers in this party. Dalits do not find any representation. I am not against higher castes. But when it comes to Dalits, AAP always remains silent,” he added.

IANS