Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal skips ED's 6th summons, AAP says 'matter in court now'

On February 14, the ED had issued summons to CM Kejriwal, compelling his appearance on February 19. However, the AAP cheif has consistently skipped all previous summonses, labeling them as both "illegal" and "politically motivated."

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal continues to defy the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) summonses in connection with the Delhi excise policy case, marking his sixth absence on Monday (February 19). The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has consistently labeled the summonses as "illegal" and emphasized that the matter is currently under judicial scrutiny.

Reiterating its position, the AAP issued a statement asserting that the summonses to CM Kejriwal were unlawful. The party contended that the ED should await the court's decision rather than repeatedly issuing summonses. The ED had approached the court itself, prompting the AAP to question the necessity of recurrent summonses.

On February 14, the ED had issued summons to CM Kejriwal, compelling his appearance on February 19. However, the AAP cheif has consistently skipped all previous summonses, labeling them as both "illegal" and "politically motivated." These summonses were dated February 2, January 18, January 3, December 22, 2023, and November 2, 2023.

On February 17, a Delhi court granted CM Kejriwal permission to physically appear before it on March 16 in connection with the ED's complaint against him for evading the previous summonses related to the excise policy case. The AAP chief cited his participation in the Delhi Assembly's confidence motion debate and the ongoing Budget session, scheduled to conclude on March 1, as reasons for his inability to appear earlier.

The court, acknowledging Kejriwal's commitments, set March 16 at 10 am as the next date for the Chief Minister to physically appear. The ED had filed a complaint on February 3, invoking legal provisions, after Kejriwal's repeated non-compliance with the summonses in the liquor policy case.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused CM Kejriwal of attempting to use the budget to evade the investigation into the liquor scam. In response, Kejriwal maintains that the repeated ED summonses are illegal attempts to thwart his political activities, particularly campaigning for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.