Kejriwal Skips ED Summons, To Visit Poll-Bound Madhya Pradesh Today

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will not appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) today, but he will hold a road show in Madhya Pradesh today, according to ANI.

The Delhi CM was scheduled to appear before the central agency at 11 am. However, he has written a letter to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) asking to take back the summons to him, calling it "illegal and politically motivated".

"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," Hindustan Times quoted Kejriwal as saying in his statement.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal states that being the National Convener and a star campaigner of the AAP, he is required to travel for campaigning and to provide political guidance to the field workers of his party.

"As the CM of Delhi, I have governance and official commitments for which my presence is required, particularly in view of Diwali coming up...Please recall the said summons, which is to say the least is vague and motivated and unsustainable in law," he added.

The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday alleged that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be the first to be arrested as part of the BJP's plan to target top INDIA alliance leaders ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

"Now after the formation of the INDIA alliance, the BJP is rattled. We have learnt from sources that they have hatched a plan to target top leaders from the INDIA alliance. The first arrest in this plan will be of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal," he said.

"The BJP knows it is losing all the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi. It is planning to get Kejriwal arrested so that AAP is not able to contest the polls," Chadha added.

Kejriwal has been issued the summons under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA, PTI reported citing sources.

The ED has mentioned Kejriwal's name multiple times in its chargesheets filed in the case and said the accused were in touch with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader regarding the preparation and execution of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday conducted a raid at the home of Delhi minister Raaj Kumar Anand, just before the agency's scheduled questioning of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today.

The ED raids are underway at nine premises linked to the Delhi Labour Minister. He is the latest AAP leader to come under scrutiny by the central agency, joining several of his party colleagues being investigated in the Delhi liquor policy case.