Plan to keep me out of polls: CM Kejriwal; BJP hits back

Kejriwal added that he had written to ED, saying their summonses were “illegal” but did not get any response

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government wanted to get him arrested before the 2024 elections and take him out of the poll campaign, as he underlined his personal integrity to junk corruption allegations that have sparked a raging political controversy.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (ANI)

The BJP hit back hours later, saying that the CM was running away from credible charges of corruption and playing the victim to evade legal action. Union minister of state Nityanand Rai said that agencies were working as per the law.

Kejriwal’s comments came a day after he skipped summons issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the third time over a money-laundering probe linked to alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy. The CM reiterated that he didn’t answer the summons because they were illegal.

“My lawyers have told me that the ED summons are illegal…The BJP’s purpose is not to question me, but to arrest me so that I cannot campaign in the Lok Sabha polls,” he said in a press conference at his official residence in Civil Lines.

The Lok Sabha elections are expected to be conducted in April-May.

Kejriwal added that he had written to ED, saying their summonses were “illegal” but did not get any response. “They haven’t replied because they know that their summonses are illegal. Should I follow illegal summons? If legally sound summons will be issued, I will follow them,” he said.

“My greatest wealth is my honesty. They want to break me by tarnishing my image.”.

The remarks came hours after the row between the city’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP, which controls the Centre, reached a crescendo, with city minister Atishi late on Wednesday claiming that ED was planning to raid Kejriwal’s residence and could even arrest him. Atishi’s late-night comments sparked condemnation from the AAP’s political opponents, and though speculation mounted over heightened security outside his residence on Thursday morning, there was no further action.

There was, however, enhanced police presence near the CM’s house throughout the day. Several police officials were seen standing at the entrance to Flag Staff Road where the CM’s residence is located since early Thursday morning.

No response was available from ED, despite HT reaching out to the agency.

Rai attacked Kejriwal and said that ED was bound to investigate someone who had done wrong. “ED works where there is corruption, scam or irregularities. So, if some body does any such thing, ED will go to them. ED works as per the law. Shall the law skip proceedings against corrupts and scamsters?” Rai asked.

Kejriwal skipped two previous summonses on November 2 and on December 22, and in letters to ED at the time raised multiple objections — principal among them that it was not clear whether he was summoned as a witness or suspect; as chief minister or as AAP chief; and without any details on the line of questioning.

This comes at a time when the AAP has been publicly expressing an apprehension that Kejriwal may be arrested by ED — just as former deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh have been — and ran a campaign in December seeking public feedback on whether he should resign as CM if taken into custody. That campaign, “Main Bhi Kejriwal” (I am Kejriwal, too) resumed Thursday, the AAP announced.

ED has alleged that the AAP received kickbacks of ₹100 crore to finalise the city’s now-scrapped excise policy and that a chunk of this was used in the Goa election campaign. In one of its five charge sheets, ED claimed that the excise policy was Kejriwal’s “brainchild”, and mentioned his name in remand papers with references to alleged meetings, commissions for private players, and the entry of political players and businesspeople from the south into Delhi’s liquor business.

On Thursday, the CM dismissed the charges.

“This investigation has been going on for the last two years but irregularities of a single penny have not been found. They do not have any evidence against anyone. Nothing has been proven,” he said, terming the investigation as “hooliganism”.

“Through false cases and fake summons, they want to malign my image. BJP’s purpose is not to carry out an investigation, their purpose is to stop me from campaigning in the Lok Sabha polls. The summons were sent just before the Lok Sabha polls,” he said.

Kejriwal asked why he was not summoned earlier. “The CBI summoned me 8 months ago. I appeared in person and responded to all their questions. But, now two months before the Lok Sabha polls, I am being summoned by ED,” he said.

In his letter to ED on Wednesday, the CM had alleged that the summons were “issued for vexatious considerations”, appeared to be “in the nature of fishing and roving enquiry”, and the agency’s actions smacked of “unwarranted secrecy” by not providing a response to legal objections raised by him in the past. He also cited several reasons for why he was busy with party and government activity, and suggested that a questionnaire be sent to him instead of a personal appearance at the ED office.

The excise policy was aimed to revitalise the city’s flagging liquor business and replace a sale volume-based regime with a licence fee for traders. It promised swankier stores and a better buying experience. The policy introduced discounts and offers on the purchase of liquor for the first time in Delhi. But it was scrapped after lieutenant governor VK Saxena ordered a probe into alleged irregularities in the regime. This ultimately resulted in the policy being scrapped prematurely and being replaced by the 2020-21 regime.

Delhi minister Atishi said Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is being used to threaten opposition leaders. “PMLA is the only law in the country under which getting bail is almost impossible. Therefore, the BJP is filing false cases against all its opposition under this law. Today, the use of PMLA and the ED is only being done to intimidate and threaten opposition leaders and to break opposition parties. If any opposition leader joins the BJP, the summons and arrests stop, and the ED withdraws cases by going to court,” Atishi said.

Delhi BJP secretary Bansuri Swaraj said the letter sent by Kejriwal to ED is a proof of his arrogance. “The ED raids are confidential, then on what basis are AAP leaders talking about arrest of Kejriwal? It seems they know that Kejriwal’s theft has been caught?” Swaraj said.

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said: “It is evident that BJP has hatched a conspiracy to arrest Delhi’s CM Arvind Kejriwal since Lok Sabha elections are approaching... The summons are illegal, whatever information ED or CBI wants they can take, they have all the documents, and evidence but their case is not finding any ground in the courts. They are not able to initiate the trials, only lodging one charge sheet after another. The BJP people say that the law is taking its course and agencies are doing their deed.”