ED summons AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak in liquor policy probe; fourth party leader under lens

आज ED ने “आप” के MCD के चुनाव इंचार्ज दुर्गेश पाठक को समन किया है। दिल्ली सरकार की शराब नीति से हमारे MCD चुनाव इंचार्ज का क्या लेना देना? इनका टार्गेट शराब नीति है या MCD चुनाव?

— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) September 19, 2022

“Today the ED has summoned the AAP’s MCD polls in-charge Durgesh Pathak. What does AAP’s MCD in-charge have to do with the liquor policy? Is their target the liquor policy or the MCD elections,” he asked in a tweet.

Pathak, who is currently an MLA from Rajinder Nagar, has been associated with the AAP since its formation at Delhi’s Ramlila ground in 2012. He won the Rajinder Nagar bypoll three months ago.

With this, four of AAP’s senior party leaders, including former health minister Satyendar Jain, deputy chief minister Sisodia and Okhla MLA are facing the heat from central investigating agencies like the CBI, ED and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) that comes under the Lieutenant Governor.

Satyendar Jain was arrested on May 30 in a money laundering case. Recently, Amanatullah Khan’s house and four other premises linked to him were raided by the ACB which found an unlicensed gun and some cash. Khan was arrested on September 16.

Sisodia, meanwhile, is mentioned as one among the several accused in the FIR filed by the CBI in the liquor policy corruption case. The central agency filed an FIR following a recommendation from L-G Vinai Saxena for alleged corruption of Rs 144 crore in the formulation and implementation of the new Excise Policy in Delhi. Following this, the CBI raided Sisodia’s house, along with 30 other places in other states.

Amid this ongoing tussle, AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said – at the AAP’s first Jan Pratinidhi Sammelan – that the BJP was trying to topple the AAP government by using the CBI-ED. “Like lord Krishna, God has sent AAP to save the Constitution and fight for the country,” he said. Kejriwal asked all 1,500 representatives, who came from across the country to attend the conference, to be ready to go to jail and not fear it.

“You all be ready to go to jail for 3-4 months… They won’t able to do anything… Jail is not that bad… we stayed there in jail for 15 days… Agar sabke andar ye himmat aajaye wo humara kuch nahi bigad sakte,” Kejriwal said, adding that the CBI-ED has targeted other leaders too.