Top Indian opposition leaders accused of financial crimes

Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which rules Delhi and the neighboring state of Punjab, dismissed the allegations against him and said it was a politically-motivated smear campaign.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) deny any meddling in politics.

Here is a list of several other key leaders, all opposed to Modi, who have been investigated for corruption or financial crimes.

SONIA AND RAHUL GANDHI, MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, CONGRESS

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi were both questioned in 2022 by the financial crime agency investigating allegations of money laundering against the Gandhi family. The family has denied wrongdoing. MANISH SISODIA, AAM AADMI PARTY: Sisodia, the AAP’s second-in-command, who wrested control of the Delhi city government from the Congress in 2013, was arrested last year on corruption charges in the same Kejriwal case. He has been remanded in prison since then.

HEMANT SOREN, JHARKHAND MUKTI MORCHA:

Soren, former chief minister of the eastern, mineral-rich state of Jharkhand, was arrested in January in a case related to money-laundering and illegal land acquisition.

Soren, who was prime minister, resigned hours before he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, India’s federal agency that fights financial crime. He denies any wrongdoing.

K. KAVITHA, BHARAT RASHTRA SAMITHI:

Kavitha, a legislator in the southern state of Telangana and daughter of the state’s former chief minister, is also being investigated by the financial crime agency on charges of money laundering in connection with the Delhi liquor policy probe, and was arrested by the ED earlier this month. He denies the allegations.

BHUPESH BAGHEL, CONGRESS:

Baghel, the former chief minister of the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, has been charged by the ED in a graft case, local media reported. Baghel denied the allegations and said the case against him was politically motivated.

ABHISHEK BANERJEE, TRINAMOOL CONGRESS

Banerjee, a lawmaker from the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, has been named and summoned by the ED in several cases, most recently, one related to a government school recruitment. He denied the allegations.

LALU PRASAD YADAV, RASHTRIYA JANATA DAL

Yadav, the former chief minister of the northern state of Bihar, one of the poorest in the country, has been accused of demanding land in exchange for railway jobs. He denied the allegations.