Delhi minister Satyendar Jain on Friday accused the Narendra Modi-led central government of using a disproportionate assets case against him to try and stop his efforts to regularise unauthorised colonies in the national Capital, PTI reported. On Thursday, the Centre allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation to prosecute him in the case.

In an official statement, Jain said he was “amazed at the charges”. “Modiji wants to raze down the unauthorised colonies in Delhi and render the poor people homeless,” Jain said. “Being the urban development minister of Delhi, I am under oath to get the unauthorised colonies authorised. It is my duty to provide the residents with basic facilities like roads and drains.”

The Aam Aadmi Party minister said he will continue to work to regularise such colonies. “Even if they file 100 cases against me, I will not be cowed down,” he said. “They [Centre] are saying Jain will become richer by regularising these colonies. This is laughable and beyond comprehension.”

The Aam Aadmi Party accused the Centre of “trying hard” to stop the regularisation of unauthorised colonies. “It is a conspiracy against Jain,” party leader Atishi Marlena told reporters. On Thursday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also accused the Centre of targeting Jain.

There are around 1,700 unauthorised colonies across Delhi, PTI reported.

The case

The CBI has accused Jain of allegedly buying land in the names of firms owned by him during the last five years and “laundering black money” worth several crores. “It has been alleged that the minister, while functioning as a public servant, has amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income to the extent of Rs 1.62 crore (approximately) during the period of February 14, 2015 to May 31, 2017,” a CBI spokesperson had said in 2017. “His wife and associates have allegedly abetted the commission of the offence.”

On August 24, 2017, the CBI registered a case against Jain, his wife Poonam and his alleged associates – Ajeet Prasad Jain, Vaibhav Jain, Sunil Kumar Jain and Ankush Jain. The agency’s first information report identified Prayas Info Solutions, Akinchan Developers, Managalyatan Projects and Indo Metal Impex Pvt Limited as the firms involved in the alleged money laundering.

After the Centre allowed the CBI to prosecute Jain on Thursday, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said the decision exposed the “lies and misdeeds” of the Kejriwal government. “We hope Jain will be soon behind the bars and Kejriwal government will come to an end,” he said.