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Kejriwal skips ED summons for questioning over Delhi Jal Board contracts
The AAP has maintained the BJP was attempting to prevent Kejriwal from campaigning for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday skipped the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons for questioning in connection with alleged irregularities in the awarding Delhi Jal Board (DJB) contracts.
A leader of Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) called the summons illegal. “When bail was granted, then why is ED sending summons?” The leader alleged the BJP was contesting the Lok Sabha election by using the ED as a shield.
ED on Sunday issued two separate summons to Kejriwal. It asked him to appear before it in connection with the DJB and excise case policy cases on Monday and Thursday.
In the DJB case, it was the first summons issued to the chief minister. Kejriwal has skipped eight summons in the excise policy case, calling them illegal and politically motivated. Kejriwal was unlikely to appear before the ED in connection with the excise case either.
The AAP has maintained the BJP was attempting to prevent Kejriwal from campaigning for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. “Nobody knows what the DJB case is or what irregularities have occurred. Maybe they doubt whether they will be able to arrest Kejriwal in the excise case, so this has been opened as a backup case. A third case may be opened if they cannot arrest him in this case as well,” Delhi minister Atishi said on Sunday.
The two summons to Kejriwal came a day after a Delhi court granted him bail in connection with ED’s two complaints over his failure to appear before the federal agency in connection with the excise case.
ED officials said that the bail does not mean that the court has given Kejriwal immunity from appearing before ED.
BJP leader Harish Khurana said Kejriwal has again proved that he does not respect the law. “He on purpose evaded the ED summons. The investigation agencies are doing their work. It is the court that will decide whether the summons are legal or illegal. ED summoned Kejriwal to ask questions in the DJB case. Since Kejriwal has skipped the summons, it makes it clear that Kejriwal is trying to hide something. If Kejriwal has not done anything wrong, then he should appear before the ED.”
