Delhi excise policy: Arvind Kejriwal to skip ED summons for fifth time, says AAP

Delhi excise policy case: The AAP alleged that PM Modi's aim is to arrest Arvind Kejriwal and topple the Delhi government.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will not appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday for questioning in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, said the Aam Aadmi Party. The AAP also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that he wants to topple the Delhi government.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. (ANI Photo)

"Delhi CM and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal will not appear before ED today as well. The party calls the summon 'unlawful'. We will comply with the lawful summons. PM Modi's aim is to arrest Arvind Kejriwal and topple the Delhi Government. We will not allow this to happen," the AAP said.

On Wednesday, the ED had issued a fresh and fifth summons to Arvind Kejriwal after he skipped four earlier summonses issued by the probe agency over the last four months.

Earlier, the AAP maintained that its legal team was studying the summons issued to Kejriwal in connection with the excise policy-linked money laundering case.

On Tuesday, in a setback to the Congress and the AAP – both INDIA bloc partners – the BJP won the Chandigarh mayoral elections. The AAP-Congress, however, combine alleged that the presiding officer had tampered with the ballot papers.

Arvind Kejriwal's previous summons

Arvind Kejriwal has skipped ED summonses for November 2 and December 21 in 2023 and January 3 and January 18 this year.

The AAP chief had called these notices “illegal”.

What is the excise policy case?

The ED has alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge repeatedly rejected by the AAP.

The policy was subsequently scrapped and Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation probe, after which the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).