New Delhi (TIP)- Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday skipped summons by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the now-scrapped excise policy and flew to poll-bound Madhya Pradesh to address a rally, alleging that the agency was acting at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to malign his image.
Kejriwal was summoned to appear before ED at its headquarters in connection with its money laundering probe in the excise policy. On April 16, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned Kejriwal in a parallel probe it is conducting into allegations of irregularities in the same policy. But the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief wrote a letter to ED, saying that the summons were politically motivated and didn’t clarify whether he was called as a witness or an accused, as the chief minister of Delhi or the AAP chief.
“It is apparent that the said summons was leaked to select BJP leaders to malign my image and reputation and has been issued at the behest of the ruling party at the Centre,” Kejriwal wrote in the two-page letter. “…please recall the said summons, which is to say the least, is vague and motivated and I am advised, unsustainable in law.”
Kejriwal also wrote that the summons failed to do three things — clarify in what capacity he was being asked to come, as a witness or a subject in the investigation, provide reasons why he was summoned, and specify whether he was called in his individual capacity or official role as CM or AAP convener — and called it a “fishing and roving” inquiry.
ED did not respond to Kejriwal’s letter.
In the afternoon, he flew to Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh, which goes to the polls on November 17, and addressed a road show.
“On the day of counting (December 3), I do not know whether I will be in jail or outside but wherever I will be everyone should say that Arvind Kejriwal had come to Singrauli and the people of Singrauli gave (AAP) a historic victory,” Kejriwal said, flanked by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and local AAP candidates.
Kejriwal’s decision to skip the summons sparked a political controversy with the AAP calling it a “conspiracy” to keep the CM from campaigning in poll-bound states and the BJP alleging that he was “running away” from ED.