Delhi's Lone Dalit Minister Resigns, Cites Corruption and Underrepresentation in AAP

Raaj Kumar Anand, the lone Dalit minister in the Delhi administration, resigned from both the AAP and his position on Wednesday, alleging underrepresentation of Dalits in the party and corruption.

Speaking at a press conference here, Anand said that he had come to the realization that his party was corrupt when the Delhi High Court refused to grant chief minister Arvind Kejriwal bail in the money-laundering case involving the excise policy.

Anand held many portfolios, including labor and employment, social welfare, and employment.

Although Anand hasn't yet joined another party, his resignation comes at a time when at least five Punjabi AAP MPs are under criticism for their absence from the demonstrations against Kejriwal's detention.

"The party was the result of an anti-corruption movement but is now mired in corruption," Anand told reporters. I believe we are at fault in light of the HC order.

He said that there were no Dalits in the party's upper ranks and that the community's members were not even eligible for the coveted parliamentary fellowships.

Anand was allegedly under pressure after an Enforcement Directorate raid last year, according to the AAP. The party also claimed that Anand, less than two hours before he announced his resignation to the public, had retweeted AAP MP Sanjay Singh's video criticizing Tihar prison for postponing a meeting between Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

A case has been brought against businessman Anand for making fake import declarations in order to avoid paying customs duties. On April 12, the ED had summoned him and conducted a raid in relation to the matter.

"Have sympathy for Raaj Kumar Anand but remember that this is the time that the brave are tested," Singh, who was just freed on bail, said to reporters.

"Anand had told party colleagues that whenever he gets active he gets phone calls," AAP minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said. Imagine the predicament of the average person if a minister is subjected to such horror. If voted back to power (in the Centre), what would these (NDA) folks do?