BJP's aim not to probe me, but stop me from campaigning for Lok Sabha polls, says Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday alleged that the BJP-led Centre wants to arrest him so that they can stop him from campaigning for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

In a video message, he accused the BJP of wanting to tarnish his image.

#WATCH | On ED summons in liquor police case, Delhi CM & AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal says, “The truth is that there was no corruption. BJP wants to arrest me. My biggest asset is my honesty & they want to dent it. My lawyers have told me that summons sent to me are illegal. BJP’s… pic.twitter.com/jLWmkZ2mxj

— ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2024

“The truth is that there was no corruption. BJP wants to arrest me. My biggest asset is my honesty and they want to dent it,” said Kejriwal.

He said that his lawyers have told him that the summons sent to him are illegal.

“BJP’s aim is not to probe me, but not to let me campaign for Lok Sabha elections. They want to call me on the pretext of investigation and then arrest me,” he said.

The 55-year-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor refused to depose before the Enforcement Directorate for the third time on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, even as AAP leaders claimed that there is a possibility of Kejriwal being arrested today as he skipped probe agency’s third summons, the ED on Thursday refuted such claims.

The ED said that it is examining the reply sent by Kejriwal regarding his refusal to appear before the agency and may issue its fourth summons to him to join the investigation in the alleged excise policy case, according to official sources.

The 55-year-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor had refused to depose before the ED for the third time on Wednesday, saying the “non-disclosure and non-response approach” of the agency cannot sustain the test of law, equity or justice and this “obstinacy” of the ED tantamounts to assuming the role of judge, jury and executioner.

The sources said the ED is currently examining Kejriwal’s five-page reply sent to the investigating officer of the case on Wednesday and may reject his charges of calling the summons illegal.

The agency may issue its fourth summons to Kejriwal as per provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.

He was earlier asked to depose on 2 November and 21 December in 2023 and 3 January this year.

AAP leader Atishi and some other party leaders had on Wednesday night posted on ‘X’ that the ED might raid Kejriwal’s residence and arrest him.

It is alleged that the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge repeatedly refuted by the AAP.

The policy was subsequently scrapped and the Delhi lieutenant governor recommended a CBI probe, following which the ED registered a case under the PMLA.

With inputs from agencies