AAP Accuses PM Modi of Targeting Kejriwal Amidst Fifth ED Summons in Delhi Excise Policy Case

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has declared that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will not be attending the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons for the fifth time on Friday in connection to the Delhi excise policy money laundering case. Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of orchestrating an attempt to arrest Kejriwal and destabilize the Delhi government, the AAP called the summons "unlawful" and vowed to comply only with lawful orders.

According to party sources, Kejriwal is unlikely to appear before the ED, which issued a fresh summons, marking the fifth time, after the chief minister had previously skipped four summonses over the past four months.

The AAP's legal team is currently scrutinizing the latest summons related to the money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy. The party remains steadfast in its assertion that the notices are "illegal."

In a parallel development, Kejriwal is scheduled to participate in a protest alongside Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann outside the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters, condemning alleged malpractices in the Chandigarh mayoral elections.

The recent mayoral election in Chandigarh resulted in a BJP victory, causing dissatisfaction among the AAP and Congress, both of whom accused the presiding officer of tampering with ballot papers.

Arvind Kejriwal had previously ignored ED summonses on November 2 and December 21, 2023, as well as January 3 and January 18 this year, terming them "illegal."

The excise policy case revolves around the ED's claims that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 favored certain liquor traders through cartelization, alleging that these dealers had paid bribes. The AAP vehemently denies the accusations, asserting that the policy was annulled, and the ED initiated a money laundering case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on a recommendation by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena for a CBI probe.