Who is Raaj Kumar Anand? Why did he resign from AAP?

New Delhi: Rajkumar Anand, a prominent figure in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Delhi government, has stepped down from his ministerial position and the party itself. Serving as the Social Welfare Minister in the Delhi Government, Anand, an MLA from Patel Nagar constituency, secured victory in the 2020 elections with an impressive 61 percent of the votes.

A big face of Jatav community

Hailing from the Jatav community, Anand's association with AAP and his close ties with the party's chief, Arvind Kejriwal, have been notable. Educated in Uttar Pradesh, Anand holds an M.A. in Politics. His wife, Veena Anand, has also been serving as an MLA since 2013.

In his resignation statement, Anand expressed deep disappointment with the current state of affairs within AAP, emphasizing that the party was founded with the noble goal of revolutionizing Indian politics. Citing serious allegations against AAP, Anand announced his resignation from the party, his government position, and his ministerial role.

Resignation comes after ED raids

Anand's decision to resign comes amid investigations by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which conducted raids on premises linked to him in November 2023. These raids were part of a broader probe into allegations related to money laundering and customs evasion.

Prior to these events, the ED had also conducted investigations at Anand's residence in Civil Lines, along with raids on nine other associated locations. These actions were linked to a charge sheet filed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) concerning false declarations in imports, particularly focused on customs evasion.

Following the resignations of Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, Anand was assigned the portfolios of education and health ministries. However, subsequent reallocations saw Saurabh Bhardwaj taking charge of health and Atishi handling education responsibilities.