Why ED in a hurry when court has given a date: Bharadwaj on summons to Kejriwal

Photo: official AAP website


Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday alleged that the Enforcement Directorate sending frequent summons to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and a fresh complaint over skipping notices in the liquor policy case are just ways for the agency to “stay in news”.

He said the probe agency has no faith in the court of law.

Speaking at a press conference, the minister asked when the court has already given March 16 as the date of hearing in this connection, why was the agency approaching the court and sending summons (to Kejriwal) again and again without waiting for the court’s decision.

He also lauded the party supremo for “not bowing to the pressure of the Centre”.

“… if Kejriwal bows, then Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and Sanjay Singh will be out from the prison on bail and everything will be alright, while the ED will also forget about its action…,” Bharadwaj added.

In an apparent reference to TMC leader Tapas Roy, who recently joined the saffron party, the AAP leader said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches against him, while his name also came up in corruption in the municipal corporation recruitments, but the person has now joined the BJP and will soon be contesting elections.

Meanwhile, the ED had approached a Delhi court filing a complaint over Kejriwal skipping multiple summonses issued to him by the agency.

Previously, the agency had filed a complaint with the court in February regarding the Delhi chief minister not complying to its summons, and Kejriwal was given a day’s exemption from appearing in person, and asked to appear on March 16.

On March 4, Kejriwal had skipped the eighth summons issued by the ED in connection with the excise policy case.

Later that day, Kejriwal addressed a press conference, and had expressed that he wrote to the agency saying that he would answer the questions via video conferencing.

Delhi CM had requested the ED for a date after March 12.