The political fraternity in Delhi is on the boil since the Enforcement Directorate summoned Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal for questioning in the excise policy scam.
Prominent members of the AAP have strongly expressed their displeasure in the proceedings of the case.
Delhi PWD and Revenue Minister Atishi Singh, in an interaction with the media on October 30, flayed the BJP government at the Centre. "We are getting information that when Arvind Kejriwal appears before ED on November 2, ED will arrest and put him in jail," she told reporters shortly after the summons were served on October 30. "The BJP and the prime minister want to finish AAP. Arvind Kejriwal will be arrested not because there is any case against him, it is because the PM fears him."
Hours before the ED summoned Kejriwal for questioning, the Supreme Court dismissed former deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia's bail petitions in corruption and money-laundering cases related to the excise policy scam.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed a First Information Report alleging a multitude of irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy (2021-22), which was later scrapped after allegations of graft surfaced against the Kejriwal government.
"The targeting of those who speak against the BJP and the misuse of ED and CBI will not end on Arvind Kejriwal, but all leaders of the Opposition and INDIA alliance will also be put in jail," Singh said. "After Arvind Kejriwal's arrest, the next number will be of Hemant Soren, then Tejashwi Yadav, then Pinarayi Vijayan, and then Stalin."
Another senior leader from the party, Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the party leaders and workers are not afraid of going to jail. "It is clear that the central government wants to finish the Aam Aadmi Party. Now, they want to put Arvind Kejriwal in jail."
Extending support to Kejriwal-led party, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) MP Sanjay Raut said that the "CBI and the ED have been entrusted by the BJP to finish all their opponents".
"Whoever are their opponents, they will impose a charge of money laundering and lock them up. We were hearing in the Supreme Court that there is no evidence against Manish Sisodia, (but) his bail plea was rejected," Raut told the media. "A West Bengal minister has also been arrested. Be it AAP, RJD, TMC, NCP, or Shiv Sena, there have been false cases against all the prominent leaders," he said.
Prominent BJP leaders, on the other hand, have hailed the ED as well as the SC move in the excise policy scam.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in conversation with reporters, launched an attack on AAP and questioned its alleged corrupt practices. "The party that claimed to have come from a mass movement and was against corruption has been exposed now," he said.
"There are many allegations against them. This is about their government's liquor policy, so as a CM, he will have to give the answer. Agencies will do their work. The main concern is the allegation against them and its proof," Pradhan said.
After the dismissal of Sisodia's bail petition on October 30, senior BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla issued an elaborate statement, attacking the AAP of money laundering. He sought an immediate resignation from Kejriwal for allegedly being hand-in-glove with corrupt politicians from the party. Poonawalla also went on to say that Kejriwal too had a role to play in the excise policy scam, and is the "kingpin of the entire liquor-gate scam".
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