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ED issues 8th summons to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal
The agency has asked Arvind Kejriwal to appear before it on March 4.
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate has issued its eighth summons to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy money laundering case. The AAP chief had skipped the previous seven summonses.
The agency has asked Arvind Kejriwal to appear before it on March 4, reported PTI.
On Monday, Kejriwal skipped the seventh summons, saying he would appear before the Enforcement Directorate only if the court orders him to do so.
The Enforcement Directorate has moved a Delhi court against Kejriwal for skipping successive summonses over the past few months.
The Aam Aadmi Party, reacting to the seventh summons, had claimed that the BJP-led Central government wants to exert pressure on it in order to make it exit the Congress-led INDIA alliance.
Also read: Kejriwal skips summons, ED says it will likely send a fresh notice
“The matter is in court and the next hearing is scheduled for March 16. Instead of sending these summons every day, ED should wait for the court’s order. We will not leave the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) and the central government should not pressure us this way,” it had said.
Calling the summons illegal and politically motivated, Kejriwal has snubbed the agency on -- November 2 and December 22 last year, and on January 3, January 18, February 2 and February 19.
Last week, Delhi's Rouse Avenue court exempted Arvind Kejriwal from appearing personally in connection with the Enforcement Directorate's case, till March 16. He had said he couldn't personally attend because of the Budget session of the Delhi Assembly. He appeared before the court virtually.
Also read: Arvind Kejriwal says he deserves a Nobel prize for running government in Delhi
Kejriwal claimed the BJP wanted to break its alliance for the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat and Goa.
AAP minister Saurabh Bharadwaj had said the ED should wait for the court's verdict.
Also read: Inflated bills will be written off if AAP wins all 7 LS seats in Delhi: Kejriwal
AAP leader Atishi had said: "The CM did not approach the court, ED did. Why are they not waiting for the court’s order? It is clear that this is not about legality or illegality — they just want to harass us. If ED cared for legality, it would wait for the due process of law to unfold".
With inputs from agencies
