Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit urge Kejriwal to appear before ED
Feb 19, 2024
New Delhi [India], February 19 : Hours after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal skipped summons by the Enforcement Directorate for the sixth time, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit urged Kejwiral to be the part of "judicial process" and appear before ED to present his point.
However, Dikshit also raised questions over ED's intentions and for sending summons to Kejriwal again and again, despite the matter being Sub judice.
AAP has also called the ED summons 'illegal', saying that the matter of the validity of the summons is now in court.
"Whatever the intention of the ED is,... we should always be a part of the judicial process and fulfil our duty... I say that you (Arvind Kejriwal) should go to the ED and present your point to finish the matter," said Sandeep Dikshit.
"The matter of the validity of the ED summons is now in court and court has given a date after two or three days, so if there is date after two-three days then ED should wait for the court's decision," he added further.
Meanwhile, BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla came done heavily on Delhi CM and labelled hism'Bhagoda' (fugitive) and said Kejriwal is the mastermind behind the Delhi liquor scam.
"He has become 'Bhagoda' number one. He has something to hide as the mastermind of the liquor scam...The court says that the summons are proper and you should go and attend these summons. But even then you are calling the summons illegal," said Poonawalla while taking to ANI on Monday.
"In fact, even the Congress party has said that in the liquor scam, you have a lot of questions to answer. So are they also doing vindictive and vendetta politics?... If there is nothing to hide. You must present yourself before the agency," added Poonawalla.
Amid all this, sources in ED claimed that the court has taken cognizance of a complaint by probe agency under Section 174 of the Indian Penal Code against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief.
Section 174 pertains to not obeying a legal order to attend a certain place in person or by an agent.
The complaint was filed against Kejriwal for intentionally disobeying the first three summons issued to him, sources said.
Sources claimed that the court has taken cognizance of the same and has prima facie accepted that Kejriwal has committed an offence for which he is liable to be prosecuted, they added.
They further said that the question in front of the court is not about the validity of the summons rather the illegal act on the part of Kejriwal of intentionally disobeying the said three summons.
