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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) today (November 02) in the controversial excise policy scam. This development comes just six months after AAP (Aap Aadmi Party) convenor was questioned for nearly nine hours by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in this case.
Meanwhile, the chief minister said, "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."
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal responds to ED, "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."… https://t.co/QlLIu4AUx1 pic.twitter.com/XCnUMLlgHe
— ANI (@ANI) November 2, 2023
AAP leader, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to appear before ED today
The Kejriwal-led Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22 is being probed by the ED and the CBI, as it allegedly favoured certain liquor dealers, an allegation that the AAP has strongly denied.
Ahead of the AAP chief's summon, heavy security has been deployed outside the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the national capital.
#WATCH | Heavy security deployment outside the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Delhi.
— ANI (@ANI) November 2, 2023
ED has summoned Delhi CM and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal to appear before them today in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. pic.twitter.com/Y274YjVy6o
On Wednesday, AAP alleged that the chief minister would be the first to be arrested as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) plan to target the top INDIA bloc leaders ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi, AAP MP Raghav Chadha claimed that since 2014, 95 per cent of cases registered by investigative agencies have been against opposition leaders.
"Now after the formation of the INDIA alliance, the BJP is rattled. We have learned 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.
Based on a report by the chief secretary of the Delhi government, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe in July 2022 into alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the policy.
The report also cited several alleged irregularities including a waiver of Rs 144 crore to the retail licensees under the policy in the name of Covid-19-impacted sales and a refund of Rs 30 crore to a successful bidder for the airport zone who failed to obtain a no objection certificate for opening liquor stores there, officials said.
Another allegation was that the commission of wholesale licensees was raised from five per cent to 12 per cent in an instance of "quid pro quo", they added.
AAP leaders such as Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and Vijay Nair have been arrested by the ED for their alleged involvement, while leaders such as Kejriwal and Satyender Jain have been questioned in relation to it.
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