"Kejriwal is 'corrupt' no 1 and his party is 'dramebaaz' no 1,": Shehzad

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla lashed out at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for evading the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons and jibed that that AAP chief and his party should be awarded an "Oscar" for their "drama."

"Arvind Kejriwal is corrupt no. 1 and his party is 'dramebaaz' no. 1. If anyone should get an Oscar for doing drama and playing the victim card, then it is Arvind Kejriwal and his party. AAP is like a child who repeatedly says the wolf has come and after some time people will stop believing it," Poonawalla said in a self-made video on Thursday.

Drawing a parallel between Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Delhi Chief Minister, Poonawalla said to stop playing the victimhood card.

"Just as Hemant Soren has avoided 7 summons, Arvind Kejriwal has avoided 3 summons. Stop playing the victimhood card Arvind Kejriwal ji," he added.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Nityanand Rai also reacted to CM Kejriwal's skipping of ED summons and said that if someone has done anything wrong ED will go to them and will investigate the matter.

"Where does ED do the proceedings? It works where there is corruption, scam or irregularities. So, if somebody does any such thing, ED will go to them. ED works as per the law. Shall the law skip proceedings against corrupts and scamsters?" Rai said.

Delhi BJP Kapil Sharma asked the Delhi Chief Minister to present before the investigating agency and tell them the truth if he is so honest.

"Arvind Kejriwal ji if you don't have anything to hide them why are you running away from investigation? The behaviour you are doing with ED even after getting three summons is shameful. This doesn't suit any Chief Minister. You used to speak about the truth and today your behaviour is telling that you are being held red-handedly. Your associates are in jail and are not even getting bail and now you also behaving like a culprit and running away from the investigation agency," Sharma said in a self-made video message on Thursday.

He further suggested the Delhi Chief Minister respect the Consitution and present before ED.

"You should follow all the rules and regulations. This kind of behaviour of Delhi Chief Minister is unacceptable," he added.

Questioning the public whether there should be two different rules for the common man VIP, BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri said that the widow's lamentation of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is shameful.

"The widow's lamentation of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is shameful. Should there be a separate law in the country for a poor man and a VIP?" Bidhuri said.

"If a poor robber or a pickpocket is caught, his companion runs away, then the police bring him back from home. If a VIP loots public money, the police don't even have the right to question them. If ED is calling someone for questioning he is not going then he should not be arrested tell me?" he asked.

Delhi BJP chief Virendraa Sachedva dubbed the AAP as "Choro ki Baraat" (procession of thieves) who were making noise and mourning for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as he is running away from the investigation agency.

"Since morning I have been watching the 'Choro ki Baraat' (procession of thieves) making noise and mourning for Kejriwal. When you did corruption what happened that time? You (Kejriwal) are running away from the investigation agency. You have been called three times by ED but you did not go there. Now you are mourning that you can be arrested. Delhi CM it's your responsibility to follow the rules but you are not following that," he said.

Alleging of "conspiracy" against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, AAP leader Jasmine Shah said that now that Lok Sabha elections are close and INDIA alliance meetings are taking place hence a conspiracy is unfolding to arrest the Delhi CM.

"The investigation on the alleged liquor scam going on for the last two years proved that it's a false case. This is the only case where recovery of a single penny has not been done even after two years of investigation. They didn't get a single solid proof," Shah said.

"Now that Lok Sabha elections are close and INDIA alliance meetings are taking place hence a conspiracy is unfolding to arrest Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal...The ED summons sent so far are illegal. We are ready to cooperate with any investigation as far as it's done following legal procedures," he added.

AAP's chief National Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said that three of our leaders have been in jail for a long time without any evidence and for the sheer reason that BJP can't compete with Arvind Kejriwal in policies.

"We are hearing it continuously that Arvind Kejriwal will be arrested. BJP leaders are saying such things. Three of our leaders are in jail for a long time without any evidence against them and for the sheer reason that BJP can't compete with Arvind Kejriwal in policies...Absconders are those who join BJP to escape investigation and we have a fairly long list of such people," Priyanka Kakkar said.

Congress leader Udit Raj suggested that the Delhi Chief Minister go before the ED and clarify his views on the allegations like Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi did earlier.

"Kejriwal spoke against corruption. He should appear before the ED to maintain his image. Sonia ji and Rahul ji never violated ED summons," Raj said.

Amidst claims made by the AAP about the ED arresting Arvind Kejriwal security around the Delhi Chief Minister's house has been further heightened. However, the AAP has not backed down from its claims.

Earlier, taking to the social media platform X, AAP leader and Delhi's Law and PWD Minister, Atishi on Wednesday, said, "News coming in that ED is going to raid@ArvindKejriwal's residence Thursday morning. Arrest likely."

Minutes after Atishi's post, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj also posted on X, claiming speculations about Kejriwal's arrest by the ED.

"It is heard that tomorrow morning, ED is going to reach the house of Chief Minister Kejriwal and arrest him," Bharadwaj said in his post.

Delhi Chief Minister skipped the third summons issued to him by the ED on Wednesday. The ED issued a third summons to CM Kejriwal on December 22 last year, in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor scam case, asking him to appear before the agency on January 3.

Meanwhile, the AAP also questioned the timing of the notice just before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.