ED summons are to create sensational news ahead of Parliamentary elections: Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, responding to the fresh summons issued by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Thursday, said that the summons sent to him are just to create sensational news in final months of the parliamentary elections in 2024. Kejriwal has been summoned by the ED in connection with the Delhi excise policy case on December 18, asking him to appear before the central agency for questioning on December 21.

Questioning the timing of the summons Kejriwal said, "The timing of your summons leaves much to desire and strengthens my belief that the summons being sent to me are not based upon any objective or rational yardstick but purely as propaganda as well as to create sensational news in the final few months of much-awaited parliamentary elections in the country."

Kejriwal further questioned ED for not responding to his earlier questions. "You have chosen not to inform me nor provide me details of the case file corresponding to file number mentioned in your summons, the reasons for summoning me, or any details thereof. Your summons appears to be a fishing and roving inquiry," said Kejriwal in a statement.

Delhi CM also expressed his unawareness of being summoned under what capacity. He said it's not clear that "I am being called as witness, suspect, as Delhi's CM or as a convenor of Aam Adami Party.

Fellow AAP leader and Delhi Minister Atishi launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Centre over the summons issued to the CM, saying that the saffron party uses central probe agencies to intimidate and silence leaders of the opposition.

She asserted that the AAP won't bow down to such threats by the ED and the CBI. Hitting out at the BJP-led Centre, Atishi said it fears Kejriwal's model of governance, which is why leaders of the ruling AAP were being hounded by the central agencies and put in jail.

"It is clear the BJP are scared of the Aam Aadmi Party and the model of governance of our leader Arvind Kejriwal, which is why the leaders of our party are being thrown in jail one by one. The BJP are using agencies at their disposal to scare us," Atishi told ANI. Kejriwal was earlier summoned by the CBI in April this year, in connection with the same case.

However, the CM was not named as an accused in the FIR filed by the CBI on August 17, last year. In February 2023, Kejriwal's Deputy Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi's new excise policy. The policy was withdrawn amid allegations of foul play by the Opposition.