New Delhi: As the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appeared before the CBI today, AAP leader Gopal Rai called the summons an insult to all Delhi residents who have supported the Delhi Chief Minister.
He has been summoned for questioning in connection with the formulation of the now-scraped excise policy.
Addressing a press conference, Rai said, "Several demonstrations have taken place in different locations in support of Kejriwal and against Prime Minister Modi. While Punjab MLA and minister Bhagwant Mann was en route to extend his support to Kejriwal, 20 MLAs were detained at the border."
Rai stated that Rajesh Rishi, Somnath Bharti, Pawan Sharma, Girish Soni, Amanatullah Khan, and Katar Singh are among the detained MLAs.
Hours before he is to leave for questioning at the probe agency's headquarters, Delhi CM sent a video message to his supporters saying that the CBI will arrest him if "the BJP has asked it to".
"They (CBI) have called me today and I will definitely go. They are very powerful, they can send anyone to jail. If BJP has ordered CBI to arrest me, then CBI will obviously follow their instructions," CM Kejriwal remarked.
He also mentioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying, "Mr. Prime Minister if Arvind Kejriwal is corrupt then there is no honest person in this world. Kejriwal lives for the country and will die for the country. If you have CBI summon me 100 times, I will still go. You can trouble us Indians but cannot stop India anymore. India will become the Number 1 country in the world."
The Delhi government has called a special session of the assembly on Monday and it is likely to discuss CBI's notice to Kejriwal. The second part of the Budget Session will commence in the Assembly Hall at 11 am on Monday, according to official notification.
The Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, which grants licences to liquor traders, is said to have favoured certain dealers who allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly denied by the AAP. The policy was later abandoned.