New Delhi, Jan 18 (Agency) Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of misusing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for political gains, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday asserted that notices issued by ED are solely intended to prevent him from campaigning in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. “This is a political conspiracy, the sole purpose of which is to prevent Kejriwal from campaigning in the Lok Sabha elections,” he told reporters at the Delhi government’s Excellence in Education Awards 2023 event here. “ED issued me a fourth summons and asked me to appear on January 18 or 19. All four notices sent by ED are illegal and invalid according to the law. Such non-specific general summons of this nature are commonly quashed and dismissed by the court,” he said. He further said an investigation has been ongoing for two years, after coercing false statements from all witnesses, but not a single rupee of corruption has been recovered.
The court has reprimanded multiple times, but nothing has happened. “I have sent a response today; let’s see what happens next,” he added. Meanwhile, AAP Minister Atishi Marlena, addressing the media, claimed that the BJP has made it clear that the summons are not issued by the Enforcement Directorate but by the BJP itself. She asserted, “It’s not ED’s summons; it’s BJP summons.” Referring to BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia’s press conference where he allegedly stated that the ED is going to arrest Arvind Kejriwal and put him in jail in connection with the Delhi liquor scam case, Atishi questioned how the BJP had prior knowledge of the ED’s summons. She asked, “How did they get to know that ED will arrest Arvind Kejriwal?” It’s because ED’s summons are being scripted at the BJP’s headquarters, she said, adding the BJP tells ED whom to arrest. At this time when the Lok Sabha elections are nearing, BJP is using ED to stop Arvind Kejriwal from campaigning and put him in jail, she claimed.