Arvind Kejriwal skips 6th summons in Delhi liquor policy case
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will not appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in connection with irregularities in the Delhi Excise Policy case on Monday. This is the sixth summons of the agency that Kejriwal has skipped. To recall, the ED had approached a city court after the CM skipped multiple summonses. In a statement, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that the ED should wait for the court's decision instead of repeatedly sending Kejriwal summonses.
Why does this story matter?
The sixth summons came in the wake of a Delhi court's directive to Kejriwal to appear and explain his non-compliance with the previous summons. On Saturday, the court granted Kejriwal an exemption from personal appearance for the day. The CM had said that he will physically appear before the court on the next date of hearing—March 16. Notably, Kejriwal's refusal to appear before the ED raises the possibility of him becoming the first sitting Delhi CM to face arrest.
ED summons to Kejriwal unlawful: AAP
The AAP has called the ED's summonses to its national convenor "unlawful." According to the ED, the agency has to record Kejriwal's statement on issues like the formulation of the excise policy and allegations of bribery, among others. In a chargesheet filed in the case in December 2023, the ED claimed that the AAP used kickbacks worth Rs. 45 crore generated via the policy for its 2022 Goa Assembly poll campaign.
Kejriwal skipped 6 summonses in liquor policy case
On February 2, Kejriwal skipped the ED's summons for the fifth time. Alleging the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s government at the Centre is using federal agencies to target the AAP, the party has denied all charges leveled by the ED. To note, the Delhi CM has not been named as an accused in the case. However, two senior AAP members, including ex-Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, have faced arrest.
Kejriwal accuses BJP of poaching MLAs
On Saturday, the AAP won the vote on a confidence motion moved by the Delhi CM. He said the vote was intended to demonstrate to the people that the House has confidence in the Council of Ministers. Kejriwal also alleged that the BJP was attempting to topple his government. "The MLAs were told that 21 AAP legislators have agreed to leave the party, and more are in touch with the BJP. They offered MLAs Rs. 25 crore," he said.
What is the Delhi Excise Policy case?
In November 2021, the Delhi government implemented the revamped liquor excise policy for 2021-22. However, it decided to scrap it less than a year later amid extensive corruption allegations. Central investigation agencies alleged that wholesaler profit margins were artificially boosted to 12% from 5%. It also claimed that the regulation promoted cartelization and benefited those ineligible for liquor licenses for economic gain. Meanwhile, the Kerjiwal-led Delhi administration denied the charges and said the strategy would have increased revenue.
