INDI Alliance formed intending to oust the BJP government from power in the 2024 general elections has not yet fully evolved into an alliance. The alliance members like Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have time and again attacked each other even while claiming to be together in the fight against the NDA. This was seen in a recent drama that unfolded after the Enforcement Directorate summoned Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal for questioning in connection with the liquor scam case.
On Tuesday (1st November), Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi claimed that every party in the INDI bloc would be targeted by central agencies with ‘cooked-up’ cases. “Every important force within the #INDIAAlliance would be subjected to cooked-up cases by central agencies. However, we are here to stay and emerge victorious. Yaad Rakho…Samar Shesh Hai…” Singhvi posted on X on October 31st, adding the hashtag #ArvindKejriwal.
The Congress leader’s comments came a day after Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to question him over the Delhi excise policy case. ED asked the AAP chief to appear on 2nd November, prompting AAP and other opposition parties to repeat the allegations of misuse of central agencies against opposition politicians.
However, today the Delhi CM decided to skip the appearance before the ED and instead attended an election rally in Madhya Pradesh. He termed the summons ‘illegal’, and asked the ED to withdraw them.
After Arvind Kejriwal refused to appear before the ED for questioning, I.N.D.I. Alliance partner Congress party attacked him. Congress National Secretary Abhishek Dutt took a dig at Arvind Kejriwal for not appearing before the ED and he advised the AAP supremo to have the courage to face the BJP. He said that senior Congress leaders like Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had appeared for questioning by agencies when they were summoned, and Kejriwal also should do the same.
“If the ED has summoned you, and you know you are right, then join the investigation. Rahul and Sonia Gandhi have done it in the past. Have the courage to fight BJP,” the Congress National Secretary said.
Earlier, Arvind Kejriwal had responded to the summons by ED by saying that he would not be appearing for the questioning as he had other events scheduled. He had claimed that he is a star campaigner with state elections coming up and therefore, he has other commitments which would not allow him to attend the summons.
Arvind Kejriwal also added that the summons was “motivated and issued for extraneous considerations”.
As reported earlier, ED conducted raids at Delhi Minister Raaj Kumar Anand’s home on Thursday morning, just before the agency planned to question Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The probe agency is also raiding nine locations connected to Anand for a money laundering investigation.
Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal has responded to the summons by ED claiming in a letter that he is a star campaigner with state elections coming up and therefore, he has other commitments which would not allow him to attend the summons.
Delhi Liquor Scam
The liquor policy for 2021-22 was put into effect by the Delhi administration on 17th November 2021, however, it was cancelled at the end of September 2022 due to accusations of corruption. The investigating authorities assert that under the new plan of action, for financial reasons. According to the agencies, the new regulation led to monopolisation and gave economic advantages to people who weren’t eligible for liquor licenses.
On the other hand, Manish Sisodia and the Delhi administration have denied any wrongdoing and claimed that the new policy would have increased the state’s excise revenue.