CBI raids Arvind Kejriwal's office, seals it; Delhi CM calls Narendra Modi a coward and psychopath

New Delhi: In another explosive development which has pitted the Narendra Modi-led Central government against the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi, the Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday raided Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's office and sealed it following allegations against the Principal Secretary Rajinder Kumar.

Sources said that the raid took place as the Anti-Corruption Branch has registered a case against Kejriwal's Principal Secretary Rajender Kumar. The case is of criminal misconduct against Rajender and other private people. Some Delhi government officials had taken voluntary retirement scheme and floated software company and Rajender Kumar was favouring them from many years in getting them contract. Raids were carried out at four other places too.

Kumar's office is situated on the same floor as Kejriwal's in the Delhi Secretariat. After the raid the CBI sealed the entire floor which saw the AAP launching a no holds barred attack on the Centre and CBI.

Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the raid, Kejriwal tweeted, "CBI raids my office. When Narendra Modi couldn't handle me politically, he resorts to this cowardice. Modi is a coward and a psychopath."

Terming it as an act of hooliganism by the Modi government, Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Sanjay Singh said, "This is the first time in India that CBI has raided a Chief Minister's office. The Prime Minister is creating an emergency like situation. It is well known that CBI is working on the instructions of the Prime Minister. Was the Chief Minister informed about the CBI raid at his office before conducting raids."

Defending the government over the raid, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu said, "We don't control the CBI. It is fashionable to blame the Prime Minister."

The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) had on December 9 questioned Rajendra Kumar in connection with alleged irregularities in conducting fitness tests for commercial vehicles. According to ACB sources, the queries mostly revolved around action taken by Kumar after the anti-corruption bureau submitted a report in 2013 in connection with the alleged irregularities, ACB sources said.

In 2013, Kumar, who is now Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, was the transport commissioner.