Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to skip ED summons again, calls notice "illegal"

New Delhi: According to insiders, Delhi's Chief Minister will not present himself to the enforcement authority for questioning regarding alleged malpractices in the city. The Chief Minister, who received the third summons from the law enforcement agency on December 22 last year, was expected to appear before them on January 3. Party sources revealed that the CM, in response to the summons, expressed his willingness to cooperate with the inquiry. However, he refused to attend today's scheduled session, deeming the order "unlawful."

The sources went on to allege that the timing of this summons was an apparent attempt to disrupt the Chief Minister's political campaigns in preparation for the imminent 2024 parliamentary elections. On the other hand, the enforcement authority anticipates capturing the CM, a move seen as an attempt to hinder his participation in the upcoming electoral campaigns, insiders added. The agency first summoned the Chief Minister to their offices on November 2; however, he decided not to honor the summons, asserting that it was "ambiguous, incentivized and unsubstantiated by the law."

The CM also argued that the summons were politically driven and released for unrelated considerations. On December 18, he failed to adhere to the federal agency's second summons, ordering him to appear at their offices on December 21. Despite his name not being on the initial list of offenders reported by the agency last year on August 17, he was served up a summons.

Back in February 2023, Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister, was apprehended by the CBI on accusations of inconsistencies concerning the origination and implementation of the now-abandoned new liquor policy in Delhi, responding to accusations of misconduct by the opposition. AAP Rajya Sabha representative, Sanjay Singh, was also arrested in connection with the same scandal in October 2023.