The national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is opting to once again abstain from appearing for the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) summons for questioning in the Delhi excise case on Wednesday.
As reported by PTI, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has stated that Arvind Kejriwal is willing to cooperate with the ED, but they argue that the intent behind the summons is to facilitate his arrest.
“Ready to cooperate in ED investigation but the agency’s notice is illegal. Their intention is to arrest Arvind Kejriwal. They want to stop him from the election campaign,” said AAP.
Kejriwal was summoned on January 3 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on January 3 concerning a money laundering case associated with the excise policy.
Earlier, the ED had previously issued summonses to Kejriwal on November 2 and December 21, 2023, but he refused to appear before the federal agency on both occasions.
Kejriwal, in response to the second summons, accused the ED of acting on behalf of political rivals who aim to stifle the opposition’s voice in the lead-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He claimed that the summonses were ‘politically motivated’.
Instead of attending the second summons, Kejriwal reportedly went on a 10-day ‘Vipassana’ meditation course at an undisclosed location and returned on December 30.
It’s worth noting that during the first summons on November 2, Kejriwal also skipped the questioning, alleging that the notice was “illegal” and “politically motivated.”
The repeated issuance of summons and Kejriwal’s refusal to comply suggest an ongoing legal and political confrontation between the Delhi Chief Minister and the Enforcement Directorate.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Published: 03 Jan 2024, 09:08 AM IST