E-Paper
Kejriwal skips 'illegal' ED summons, will be in Madhya Pradesh instead
Arvind Kejriwal will be in Madhya Pradesh campaigning for the AAP for the upcoming election, will not attend ED questioning.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will not attend the ED summons on Thursday and will instead be in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh holding a roadshow along with Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, news agency ANI reported. The confirmation comes from AAP sources cited by news agencies ANI, PTI as Kejriwal shot a scathing letter to ED calling its notice 'illegal' and 'politically motivated'. ED issued the summons notice to Kejriwal on October 30 asking him to be present at the ED headquarters on November 2, 11am. While his party reacted to the summons, Kejriwal did not issue any statement on whether he would attend it or not. A day before, AAP leaders said that they had information that Kejriwal would be arrested. In case of Kejriwal's arrest, the government and the party will run from jail, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said.
On Thursday, heavy security was imposed in front of the ED office ahead of Kejriwal's schedule.
Hours before Kejriwal was supposed to appear at the ED headquarters, Kejriwal wrote a scathing letter to the agency questioning the legality of the ED summons. "The summon notice is illegal and politically motivated. The notice was sent at the behest of the BJP. Notice was sent to ensure that I am unable to go for election campaigning in four states. ED should withdraw the notice immediately," Kejriwal said.
The last-minute letter makes it clear that Kejriwal's plan to skip the summons was kept under wraps.
Kejriwal did not tweet anything regarding skipping ED summons or being in Madhya Pradesh.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said this is not the time for Kejriwal's drama but the chief minister should face the ED questioning. " Are the courts against you? Is the Supreme Court making a vendetta against you? And when Congress leaders issue a statement that you (Kejriwal) are personally responsible for the sharab ghotala, are they also vindictive against you," Shehzad Poonawala said in a video message.
"The law is doing its work. The ED has summoned him under the law. 2 days ago, the Supreme Court observation regarding Manish Sisodia's bail said that there is a money trail of Rs. 338 crores. Arvind Kejriwal has to answer this because it is not possible that there is a money trail and he is not aware of it... He has to answer this question. He also has to answer why the excise was increased to 12% from 5%... He is playing the victim card that this is vendetta politics" BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana said.
