Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal skipped the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the second time on Thursday, terming it “a fishing and roving inquiry”. He requested the agency to withdraw the summons, which he described as illegal.
In a letter to the probe agency on Wednesday before leaving for a 10-day Vipassana meditation course in Punjab, Mr. Kejriwal said the summons were issued to him “at the behest of political rivals who wish to silence the voice of opposition to the ruling dispensation at the Centre to create sensational news in the final few months leading up to the parliamentary election in early to mid-2024”.
On Monday, the ED summoned Mr. Kejriwal to record his statement in connection with the Delhi excise policy case on Thursday.
The case against the AAP chief is based on an FIR by the Central Bureau of Investigation, alleging multiple irregularities in the formation and implementation of the Delhi excise policy (2021-22). The policy was subsequently withdrawn.
The CM was first summoned by the ED on November 2, but he did not appear for questioning and wrote to the Central probe agency, describing the summons as “unsustainable in law” and “motivated”.
Referring to his response to the first summons, Mr. Kejriwal, in his letter to the ED on Wednesday, said, “I still do not know in which capacity am I being summoned — as a witness or a suspect, as the Delhi Chief Minister or as the Aam Aadmi Party’s national convener.”
He added, “I am a conscientious, law-abiding, ordinary citizen of the country and do not shirk from complying with any summons issued in compliance with the law, but your summons (I am advised) is not in consonance with the law.”
The AAP chief also said, “You have chosen not to inform me or provide details of the case file corresponding to the file number in your summons or the reasons for summoning me. Your summons appears to be a fishing and roving inquiry.”
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, senior AAP leader Atishi said the summons had been issued not by the ED but by the BJP.
“The BJP is afraid of Arvind Kejriwal’s increasing popularity. These actions are attempts to thwart AAP’s growth and governance model, which has gained traction across the country,” she said.
Two senior AAP leaders — Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh — are already under judicial custody in connection with the case. Mr. Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26 following several rounds of questioning, and on October 5, the ED arrested Mr. Singh, a Rajya Sabha member.
AAP had, on December 1, started a drive to ask city residents whether the CM should run the government from jail in the event of his arrest.
‘Surprising move’
Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said it was surprising to see the CM trying to garner public sympathy instead of appearing before the probe agency.
“For the past 15 months, AAP leaders have been saying that the inquiries by the ED and the CBI into the liquor scam were politically motivated. But if that is the case, then why did Manish Sisodia withdraw it the moment the CBI started investigating it?” Mr. Sachdeva said.
