Kejriwal Agrees To Attend ED Hearing Via Video Conferencing, Asks For Date After March 12

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has sought a date after March 12 to appear before the ED.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal skips eighth summons by ED ( Image Source :PTI )

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said he is ready to answer the summons sent by the Enforcement Directorate and asked for a date after March 12, said the Aam Aadmi Party. The AAP chief's response came to the eighth summons sent by the ED last week in the money laundering probe linked to the alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy case.

In a statement, the AAP said: "Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has sent a reply to the Enforcement Directorate. He said the summons is illegal but still he is ready to answer. Arvind Kejriwal has asked for a date after March 12 from ED. After that, Arvind Kejriwal will attend the hearing via video conferencing."

The Aam Aadmi Party national convener, who has skipped seven summons so far, was sent another summons for the eighth time on February 27 by the enforcement agency to appear before it today.     

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has sent a reply to the Enforcement Directorate. He said the summons is illegal but still he is ready to answer. Arvind Kejriwal has asked for a date after March 12 from ED. After that, Arvind Kejriwal will attend the hearing via video conferencing: AAP… pic.twitter.com/GHEUSQglZx

— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2024

Earlier he had said that he would appear before the ED if a court ordered him to do so. 

Reacting to the Monday development, Delhi minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said, "While ED summons is absolutely illegal, the CM felt that BJP leaders and spokespersons are time and again accusing him of not answering the ED questions."

"We were always of the opinion that it is not about answering the questions, it's about the ED's intent of illegally arresting Arvind Kejriwal. So Arvind Kejriwal found a middle ground and decided to appear for questioning via video conferencing...," he said. 

"But if there is some conspiracy and they want to arrest the CM at any cost, then the ED will force him to come...," said the AAP leader. 

The central agency had approached a city court in the national capital, as he had been skipping summonses, which had directed the Delhi CM to appear before the court on March 16. 

Kejriwal said that the probe agency itself moved the court in the matter and now they should wait for its order. He also sought to know whether the Union government and the ED did not trust the court. 

He has also complained that despite that matter being underway in the court, the federal enforcement agency has been sending him summons after summons in connection with the matter. 

While issuing the seventh summons, the ED rejected the contention that a fresh notice for Kejriwal's attendance was wrong as the matter was sub-judice before a local court. 

The I.N.D.I.A bloc ally has alleged that the summons being issued were "illegal" and that it was a tool to pressure him into quitting the opposition alliance.