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ED to issue 4th summons to Kejriwal? CM will leave for Gujarat amid ‘arrest' row| 10 points
Arvind Kejriwal will leave for a 3-day tour of Gujarat on January 6 ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, PTI reported citing AAP sources.
The Enforcement Directorate is studying Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's reply to the agency rejecting the third summons and may issue a 4th summons, news agency PTI reported citing sources as the Aam Aadmi Party leaders claimed Kejriwal will be arrested on Thursday following ED raids. PTI reported that Kejriwal is likely to leave on a 3-day Gujarat tour on January 6. In Gujarat, Kejriwal is likely to hold public meetings, meet jailed AAP leader Chaitar Vasava, the report said.
Kejriwal ‘arrest drama’: Here are top 1developments
1. AAP ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj on Wednesday night tweeted that the ED might launch an early morning raid at Kejriwal's residence. After the raid, Kejriwal would be arrested, the ministers apprehended.
2. Security was tightened in front of Kejriwal's residence and AAP claimed that it was a preparation for the arrest.
3. The roads leading to Kejriwal's residence were blocked by the Delhi Police, AAP claimed. Delhi Police denied the allegation.
4. A senior Delhi Police officer told PTI that the security was increased to manage the media personnel in front of his residence. "No one from the CM staff has been stopped," another police officer said, terming the increase in the number of police personnel as "general deployment".
5. AAP leader Jasmine Shah said BJP leaders get to know even before ED summons are issued and hence they have been saying that Kejriwal would be arrested soon. The AAP leader said they had information from 'sources' that there would be raids at Kejriwal's residence on Thursday.
6. BJP leader Bansuri Swaraj said Kejriwal has been afflicted by VVIP syndrome. "Why would he avoid ED summons? AAP ministers have been deployed to create a perception that Kejriwal would be arrested today. I want to ask them what is the basis of their prophecy. ED raids are secret, only the agency knows," Bansuri Swaraj said.
7. Delhi BJP president Virendraa Sachdeba said Kejriwal has been escaping the ED summons. "Now you are lamenting that you will be arrested. ED won't tell you before they come," the BJP leader said. "AAP leaders are lamenting and questioning ED whether Arvind Kejriwal can be arrested. I want to ask this question to everyone, if the police repeatedly visit someone's house, asking them to come, and they refuse, should they be arrested or not? Or does the law differ for common people and VIPs?" BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri said.
8. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said Kejriwal and AAP should get an Oscar award for 'nautanki'.
9. Kejriwal on Wednesday skipped the ED summons and said he is ready to reply to a questionnaire if the agency sends one. He said he is preoccupied with Rajya Sabha election and Republic Day preparations. Calling the summons illegal, Kejriwal said the agency did not clarify whether he was being summoned as an accused or a witness.
10. This was the third summons that Kejriwal skipped. He was first summoned on November 2, when he said he was busy with election campaigning and Diwali preparations in New Delhi. The second summons was for December 21 when Kejriwal was in vipassana.
