The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday hit out at Aam Aadmi Party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for skipping Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) summons in an excise policy-linked case.
Accusing Kejriwal of “running away” from the ED, the party said he did not want to face the Central investigative agency.
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Kejriwal did not appear before the ED as per the summons issued to him on Monday. He wrote to the Central agency asking it to withdraw the notice summons as it was politically motivated and was unsustainable under the law.
Reacting to the AAP leader’s move at a press conference here, BJP national spokesman Sambit Patra said, “Arvind Kejriwal ran away from ED summons. He does not want to face the truth. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that the Delhi liquor scam king has accepted that he was involved in liquor scam and corruption.”
Sharpening his attack, Patra further said, “Running away from the agencies probing the truth is shamelessness. We are confident that the ED must have summoned Arvind Kejriwal based on evidence. Arvind Kejriwal is the source from where corruption emerges in Delhi.”
In this context, referring to the dismissal of AAP leader Manish Sisodia’s bail plea by the Supreme Court, he said the windfall gains of Rs 338 crore to wholesale liquor dealers was “tentatively supported” by evidence.
In his communication to the ED, Kejriwal asked in what capacity he was summoned for questioning. Reacting to it, the BJP leader asked, ‘Why is this VIP syndrome? Are you above law? Just because you are Delhi chief minister no agency can summon you?” Patra questioned.
Meanwhile, in his reaction to the ED summons to AAP supremo, Delhi Minister Gopal Rai alleged, ‘It is clear that the BJP wants to arrest Arvind Kejriwal as per a planned political conspiracy. BJP leader Manoj Tiwari’s statement proves it. Tiwari had said, “Arvind Kejriwal will be arrested.”