Third ED summons to Kejriwal: Saurabh Bharadwaj alleges agency influenced by political pressure from Centre

New Delhi [India], December 23 (ANI): In a sharp response to the Enforcement Directorate summons to Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal for the third time, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the central agency's actions are influenced by political pressure from the central government.
Bharadwaj further alleged that the summons were not based on "laws and legality".
"This summon was only given to create a political perception. This means that you (ED) have nothing to do with laws and legality. You only sent the summon under political pressure from the central government. This is unfortunate and ridiculous," Minister Bhardwaj said while speaking to ANI.
Claiming that CM Kejriwal is attending a Vipassana retreat, Minister Bhardwaj questioned the authenticity of the summons demanding to clarify on who received the purported summon.
"Central agency ED knows that Arvind Kejriwal is at the 10-day vipassana. A person going for vipassana is completely cut off from the world. There are no phones, newspapers or televisions. There is no communication. Now, they are saying that they have given a summon but who received it?," Bhardwaj questioned.
Earlier on December 22, Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued a summon to CM Kejriwal in connection with the excise policy case and has asked him to appear before the central agency on January 3.
This is the third summon that has been issued to the Delhi Chief Minister by the central agency.
Kejriwal was earlier summoned by the ED in connection with an excise policy case on December 18, asking him to appear before the central agency for questioning on December 21.
The Delhi CM was first called by the central agency to appear on November 2, but he did not depose, alleging that the notice was "vague, motivated and unsustainable in law."
"The said summons is not clear as to the capacity in which I am being summoned i.e. as a witness or a suspect in the above-mentioned case. Please recall the said summons, which is, to say the least, vague and motivated and I am advised, unsustainable in law," Kejriwal had stated in his letter to Jogendar, Assistant Director, ED.
He further alleged that the said summons appears to be politically motivated and issued for extraneous considerations.
CM Kejriwal was also summoned by the CBI in April this year, in connection with the case.
However, Kejriwal was not named as an accused in the first information report (FIR) filed by the CBI on August 17, last year.
In February 2023, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi's new excise policy. The policy was withdrawn amid allegations of foul play by the opposition. (ANI)