Nationalist Congress Party NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has voiced support for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in light of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoning him allegedly in the excise policy scam case. Pawar stated that the Centre is "abusing its power" to intimidate those with differing political perspectives.
While addressing party members in Shridi, Pawar mentioned that similar summons have been issued to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, expressing concern that he might also face arrest. Pawar highlighted that over the past 10 years, the public has elected Kejriwal into office, noting that ministers from the Aam Aadmi Party have been jailed, and efforts are being made to apprehend him as well.
Pawar backs Delhi CM
"He (Kejriwal) has been issued notices to appear before the ED. The Chief Minister of the country's capital. Everyone in Delhi knows he is a simple man with a clean image. It will not be surprising if he is arrested," Pawar claimed.
"This means efforts are being made to discourage those who do not have similar political views by misusing power," Pawar alleged. His remarks came after the AAP national convener Kejriwal had skipped the Enforcement Directorate summons on Wednesday, January 3.
He has so far skipped three summons by ED for questioning in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged liquor scam. The alleged liquor scam is related to the excise policy 2021-22 that was scrapped by Kejriwal's government last year after Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe into "lapses and irregularities" in its implementation.
Every 'corrupt leader' will be punished: BJP
The BJP on Wednesday assailed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren for repeatedly skipping the ED summons and asserted that every “corrupt leader” will be “punished” for their misdeeds under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rule. The party also questioned why Kejriwal did not approach the courts if he felt the action against him was politically motivated.
“Gone are the days when corrupt leaders used to rule over the honest citizenry of the country. The only place for the corrupt leaders is behind bars and it is our firm resolve that every corrupt leader will be punished as per law,” BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has zero tolerance for corruption and the probe agencies have been given a "free hand" to work independently and take action against graft without any bias, the BJP leader stressed.
(With inputs from PTI)
