Plan to keep me out of polls: CM; BJP hits back

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government wanted to get him arrested before the 2024 elections and take him out of the poll campaign, as he underlined his personal integrity to junk corruption allegations that have sparked a raging political controversy.

- Alok KN Mishra

The BJP hit back hours later, saying that the CM was running away from credible corruption charges and playing the victim to evade legal action. Union minister of state Nityanand Rai said that agencies were working as per the law. Kejriwal's comments came a day after he skipped summons issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the third time over a money-laundering probe linked to alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy. The CM reiterated that he didn't answer the summons because they were illegal.

"My lawyers have told me that the ED summons are illegal...The BJP's purpose is not to question me, but to arrest me so that I cannot campaign in the Lok Sabha polls," he said in a press conference at his official residence in Civil Lines. The Lok Sabha elections are expected to be conducted in April-May.

Kejriwal added that he had written to ED, saying their summonses were "illegal" but did not get any response. "They haven't replied because they know that their summonses are illegal. Should I follow illegal summons? If legally sound summons will be issued, I will follow them," he said. "My greatest wealth is my honesty. They want to break me by tarnishing my image.".

The remarks came hours after the row between the city's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP, which controls the Centre, reached a crescendo, with city minister Atishi late on Wednesday claiming that ED was planning to raid Kejriwal's residence and could even arrest him.

Atishi's late-night comments sparked condemnation from the AAP's political opponents, and though speculation mounted over heightened security outside his residence on Thursday morning, there was no further action.