The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Friday issued yet another summons – the third of its kind – to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to present himself for questioning in connection with its ongoing investigation into the excise policy case. According to sources, the agency has asked Kejriwal, who is currently on a Vipassana meditation retreat in Punjab, to present himself for questioning on January 3. The AAP, in response, termed it vendetta and said the party could neither confirm nor deny whether the summons had been served. Kejriwal had earlier been asked to present himself before the agency on December 21. In his reply furnished to the ED after skipping the summons, he termed it “politically motivated”. The AAP convenor then proceeded on the 10-day Vipassana session, sticking to his pre-announced schedule. Responding the the fresh summons, the AAP termed the case against the Delhi CM “fake” and a bid to target its leadership. “This is a completely fake case only to target the AAP leadership. The BJP has not been able to produce a single evidence in the court,” the AAP said in a statement. “It’s just political vendetta to counter the growing popularity of AAP across the country. Since CM Arvind Kejriwal has left for Vipassana on the 19th, we cannot confirm if another summons has been received or not,” the AAP added. The first summons was issued in October, as per which he was to appear for questioning on November 2. He, however, did not appear and wrote a letter to the ED Assistant Director instead, saying, “. please recall the said summons, which, to say the least, is vague and motivated and, I am advised, unsustainable in law.” Both the CBI and ED have registered separate cases in connection with the now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22, which allegedly favoured certain dealers in return for bribes. In April this year, the CBI questioned Kejriwal in connection with its case. In its preliminary complaint – akin to a chargesheet – filed in a Delhi court in February, the ED had said that Kejriwal allegedly spoke to another accused in the case – Sameer Mahendru – on a video call and asked him to continue working with co-accused Vijay Nair, AAP’s communication in-charge, referring to him as “his boy”.
