As Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal chose not to respond to the Enforcement Directorate's summons on Thursday, the Congress seemed to indirectly comment on its alliance partner in the Opposition bloc INDIA, suggesting that he should follow the example of the Gandhis who cooperated with central agencies' investigations in the past. Congress national secretary Abhishek Dutt emphasized the need for Kejriwal to "have the courage to fight the BJP."
Abhishek Dutt pointed out the instances of former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi appearing for questioning by the Enforcement Directorate during a money laundering case in 2022, even during the peak of the COVID pandemic.
"Every political party will take their own stands. Look at Rahul and Sonia Gandhi. They were summoned in peak COVID season. They joined the investigation and spent their days inside the ED office," Dutt mentioned in an interview with news agency PTI. He further stressed that the Gandhis cooperated with the investigation because they believed in their innocence.
Dutt's message to Arvind Kejriwal was clear: if the Enforcement Directorate has summoned you and you believe you are in the right, then you should participate in the investigation, just as Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi did in the past. He encouraged Kejriwal to have the courage to stand up against the BJP.
Earlier in the day, Kejriwal had declined the summons from the Enforcement Directorate, arguing that they were "vague," "politically motivated," and "not sustainable under the law." He accused the BJP of orchestrating the summons.
The Enforcement Directorate may issue fresh summons to Kejriwal in the near future, as sources indicate. The decision will ultimately be made by senior officials.
The case in question involves allegations of a money laundering scheme linked to the Delhi government's now-discarded excise policy for 2021-22. This policy is under investigation by both the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for its alleged favoritism towards certain liquor dealers, a claim that the AAP vehemently denies. This case led to the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal's former deputy, Manish Sisodia, in February of this year and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on October 4. Kejriwal himself was previously questioned by the CBI in April for nearly nine hours regarding the case.
