Former AAP Minister Joins BJP, Blasts Kejriwal on Dalit Welfare

Ex-AAP minister Raaj Kumar Anand joined BJP, criticizing AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal for neglecting Dalit welfare. Anand, who previously resigned citing unutilized welfare funds, vows to work for Dalit rights. He and his wife Veena were welcomed by BJP leaders in Delhi.

Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) minister Raaj Kumar Anand officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday, launching a scathing attack on AAP Chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the nation's capital. Anand criticized Kejriwal for ignoring his repeated requests to take substantive action for Dalit welfare.

Welcomed into the BJP fold by Delhi President Virendra Sachdeva and national general secretary Arun Singh, Anand expressed gratitude towards the party. "I am grateful to the BJP for giving me the opportunity to join. I am committed to working for the welfare of all, particularly the Dalit community to which I belong," said Anand, addressing the media.

Anand had resigned from his ministerial post earlier, accusing Kejriwal of failing to utilize allocated funds for Dalit welfare. "Despite the allocation of funds through the SC/ST fund, crores of rupees have not been utilized for the benefit of Dalits in Delhi over the past nine years," he stated, adding that the Dalit community continues to question the whereabouts of their welfare funds.

Anand also slammed Kejriwal for excluding the Dalit community from the Trith Yatra Yojana. His wife, Veena Anand, also joined the BJP, alongside other leaders. Anand, who resigned from AAP in April citing corruption, previously joined the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to contest the Lok Sabha polls. He had faced raids by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam last November.

Representing the Patel Nagar constituency since his election to the Delhi Assembly in 2020, Anand held multiple portfolios in the Kejriwal cabinet, including Social Welfare, SC and ST, Gurudwara elections, and Registrar of Cooperative Societies. Before his political career, Anand was a businessman and had been part of the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement.