“BJP afraid of AAP because of its rising popularity,” says Delhi Minister Atishi after ED summons Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi [India], December 21 (ANI): After the Enforcement Directorate summoned Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the alleged excise policy scam case, Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi took a fresh jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led centre, stating that the BJP is “afraid” of AAP due to the latter’s increasing popularity across the nation.

“For the last two years, the ED and the CBI have been investigating the ‘so-called’ liquor scam. The centre got hundreds of raids conducted and employed thousands of officers in the case. But yet, they haven’t been able to recover a single penny from the AAP leaders,” Atishi told ANI.

“Why are summonses being sent to CM Kejriwal? This is because the BJP is afraid of the party’s increasing popularity across the country. The AAP is working in Punjab and Delhi. It has provided good governance in these states and the BJP has not been able to do so,” she added.

Arvind Kejriwal was summoned by the ED in connection with the Delhi excise policy case on December 18.

However, the Delhi Chief Minister chose to skip appearing before the central agency, stating that it was just to create sensational news in the final months of the parliamentary elections in 2024.

Questioning the timing of the summons, Kejriwal said, “The timing of your summons leaves much to desire and strengthens my belief that the summons being sent to me are not based upon any objective or rational yardstick but purely as propaganda as well as to create sensational news in the final few months of much-awaited parliamentary elections in the country.”

Kejriwal further questioned ED for not responding to his earlier questions. “You have chosen not to inform me nor provide me details of the case file corresponding to the file number mentioned in your summons, the reasons for summoning me, or any details thereof. Your summons appears to be a fishing and roving inquiry,” said Kejriwal in a statement.

The Delhi CM also expressed his unawareness of being summoned under what capacity. He said it’s not clear that “I am being called a witness, a suspect, Delhi’s CM or a convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party.

Delhi CM was first called by the federal 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 stated in his letter to Jogendar, Assistant Director, ED.

He further alleged that the summons appears to be politically motivated and issued for extraneous considerations.

In February 2023, Arvind Kejriwal’s deputy, Manish Sisodia, was arrested by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of Delhi’s new excise policy.

The policy was withdrawn amid allegations of foul play by the opposition.