Kejriwal skips ED summon: Delhi CM says will not bow down to hooliganism; BJP says AAP chief behaving like fugitive

New Delhi [India], January 4 (ANI): BJP and Aam Admi Party are at loggerheads again with the saffron party slamming Arvind Kejriwal for skipping the third summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate and stating that the AAP chief is behaving like a fugitive.
"One by one, the scams done by Kejriwal and his party are coming to light. Today, he is not ready to appear before ED and is behaving like a fugitive. If there is nothing to hide, why is he not appearing before, even after the 3rd summons?" BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla told ANI.
Delhi Chief Minister skipped the third summons issued to him by the ED on Wednesday. The ED issued a third summons to CM Kejriwal on December 22 last year, in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor scam case, asking him to appear before the agency on January 3.
Earlier in the day, Arvind Kejriwal said that he would not bow down to the hooliganism and dictatorship of the BJP.
Alleging that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sent a "false summons" to him, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that he has explained to the ED why their summons is illegal adding that his biggest strength and asset is his "honesty."
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Delhi's Chief Minister said, "In the last two years, all the agencies of BJP have conducted many raids but not a single penny was found. If there is corruption then where is the money? AAP leaders are kept in jail in such fake cases. Now BJP wants to arrest me. My biggest strength and asset is my honesty."
Questioning the timing of the notice just before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Delhi CM said that the Bharatiya Janata Party wants to stop him from campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections.
"My lawyers told me that the summons was illegal. I wrote the question and sent it to ED. Should I obey an unlawful summons? If a legal summons comes, I will comply with it. Why am I being called just before the Lok Sabha elections? Eight months ago, I was called by CBI. I went and gave all the answers. Today they want to stop me from campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections," he added.
Coming down heavily at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Jasmine Shah alleged that the only target of the BJP is to "finish" AAP and "arrest" Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal before the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Shah claimed that all the summons served to the Delhi CM by the investigating agency were illegal."It is clear that they (BJP) want to finish Aam Aadmi Party and arrest Arvind Kejriwal before Lok Sabha elections. He is ready to cooperate with the legal process. Till now, all summons served to him are illegal," Shah said.
Arvind Kejriwal, who received support from Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday, said that this is nothing new, adding that the government is doing a probe against all opposition leaders.
"This is nothing new; the government is doing a probe against all opposition leaders, putting pressure on them and insulting them. The whole nation knows that agencies are being misused." The biggest scandal till now was demonetization. One by one, all opposition leaders are being probed. This is nothing but a political agenda to distract people," the SP chief said.
Also, former Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, TS Singh Deo, said, "Arvind Kejriwal has asked the ED for the basis of all the summons. Arvind Kejriwal never said he would not go. He has just asked in writing the basis for the summons."
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday slammed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for not appearing before the Enforcement Directorate and said people are asking if the Aam Admi Party leader is above the law of the land.
Talking to reporters here, Thakur said Kejriwal is "scared to appear before the ED".
"One after another, scams keep coming out. The leaders of the AAP have been in jail for more than a year. Arvind Kejriwal has an equal role in all these scams. People are asking if Arvind Kejriwal is above the law today. Why is he so scared to appear before the ED?" Anurag Thakur asked.
As the suspense continued to build around the next course of action by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal skipped the third summons by the agency in connection with the liquor policy case, Union Minister Gen (retd) VK Singh on Thursday said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor should not fear an inquiry if he is, indeed, 'innocent' and should cooperate with the ongoing investigation in the case.
AAP chief further said that he has always fought for the country and till his last, he will fight for the country."
"Today, opposition leaders are being included in the BJP through ED. Whoever joins his party, all his matters get resolved. Today honest leaders like Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Vijay Nair have been put in jail. I have always fought for the country. Every breath of mine is for the country. We have to save the country together. I am fighting against them with all my heart, I need your support," he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Kejriwal, in his reply to the ED, expressed his readiness to cooperate with the investigation but declined to appear on the summoned date, calling the notice "illegal." Kejriwal further questioned the agency for not responding to his earlier replies when the summons was sent to him and he had raised certain queries on the nature of the agency's investigation.
In his written reply to the ED, the Delhi CM said "As a premier investigating agency the non-disclosure and non-response approach adopted by you cannot sustain the test of law, equity or justice. Your obstinacy is tantamount to assuming the role of judge, jury and executioner at the same time which is not acceptable in our country governed by the rule of law."
"In these circumstances, I urge you to respond to my earlier response and clarify the position so as to enable me to understand the real intent, ambit, nature, sweep and scope of the purported inquiry/investigation for which I am being called" he added in his response. (ANI)