The Aam Aadmi Party said that Delhi Chief Minister has sent a reply to the Enforcement Directorate on Monday. This came after the federal agency sent the eight summons to the AAP convenor. In a statement, Kejriwal claimed that summons is illegal but he is ready to answer.
ED on Kejriwal's virtual meeting request
"Arvind Kejriwal has asked for a date after March 12 from ED. After that, he will attend the hearing via video conferencing," AAP said in a statement. However, the probe agency has allegedly refused to allow Kejriwal to appear before it through video-conferencing. "There is no provision for interrogation through video conferencing," stated an ED source.
Earlier on February 27, The ED issued an eighth summons to the Delhi Chief Minister in a money laundering probe related to irregularities in the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 case, asking him to join the investigation on March 4.
Kejriwal skipped multiple summons
Kejriwal has so far skipped seven previous summonses issued by the Enforcement Directorate on various dates, including February 26, February 19, February 2, January 18, January 3, November 2, and December 22, labelling them as "illegal and politically motivated." The ED seeks to record Kejriwal's statement regarding policy formulation, pre-finalization meetings, and allegations of bribery in the case.
Despite the seventh summons issued by the ED, AAP, in a statement, denounced it as "illegal," urging the ED to stop sending summonses and await the court's decision. The AAP also highlighted that the probe agency has already approached the court concerning the matter.
BJP hits out at Kejriwal
Meanwhile, Kejriwal's reply to the ED has drawn criticism from BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla. He described it as ludicrous that someone facing a significant accusation of orchestrating a liquor scam is now dictating the terms of his appearance before the central agency.
"It is absolutely absurd that a person who is facing a serious allegation of being the mastermind of the liquor scam is now going to determine how he will appear when he will appear and things which are unheard in law...When Arvind Kejriwal was under the tutorage of Anna Hazare, he used to say 'first resignation then investigation', today forget resignation, no cooperation in investigation because he is under the tutorage of Lalu Prasad Yadav. Since the summons have been issued he is making excuses... He said that it's a vendetta politics, if this is so, why hasn't the court quashed or stayed the summons, why hasn't the court given relief to Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, Vijay Nair...Congress is saying that Arvind Kejriwal is involved in the scam and he must answer. Kejriwal is doing ABCD. A for Avoid Summon, B for Bhaag Jao from Summon, C for Cover up for Summon and D for Divert from Summon..."
Delhi excise policy scam
It is alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge repeatedly refuted by the AAP. The policy was subsequently scrapped and Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation probe, following which the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
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