Hours after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) summoned Arvind Kejriwal, the Aam Aadmi Party on Friday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party was conspiring to arrest the Delhi chief minister in the 'fabricated' excise policy case, and stressed that their fight against corruption won't be hampered.
The BJP welcomed the CBI move, claiming that it had been saying all along that Kejriwal was the 'mastermind of the liquor scam'.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said the Delhi chief minister will appear before the CBI on April 16.
The CBI has summoned Kejriwal in connection with the excise policy scam case on April 16, officials said on Friday.
Kejriwal has been asked to be present at the agency headquarters at 11 am to answer queries of the investigating team, they said.
The central probe agency has already arrested former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the case.
It is alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP. The policy was later scrapped.
"He exposed the alleged ties between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani during the assembly session. The day he did so, I told him that he will be next on BJP's hitlist now," Singh claimed.
Describing the summons as a desperate attempt by the BJP to silence their opposition, Singh said these summons will only strengthen Kejriwal's anti-corruption crusade.
"The fact remains that the Centre is tainted with accusations of wide-scale corruption and nothing can change that.
"CM Arvind Kejriwal swore to expose the reality of the PM in the assembly that day. But now, this expose will stir up a storm across the nation," he said.
He also alleged that the BJP is hatching a conspiracy to arrest Kejriwal inside CBI headquarters.
"But no conspiracy, no tactic, no trap can muffle the voice of CM Arvind Kejriwal, his fight will go on regardless of what happens to him. This fight will spread to every nook and corner of this country now. The whole country will now speak against the PM's corruption," he said.
Singh also talked about the Kejriwal model of world class education and healthcare, saying, "CM Arvind Kejriwal let go of his plush job as an Income Tax Commissioner to reform this nation. He went on a 13-day hunger strike to fight corruption, do you think a notice can scare him?"
He emphasised how this is not the first time CM Kejriwal is being targeted.
"The Delhi CM was earlier subjected to raids and searches at his office and residence. Two senior ministers of his cabinet were arrested. Several of his MLAs have been thrown into jails," Singh said.
"But despite all this, Kejriwal did not let Delhi's progress falter," he stressed.
Singh challenged the CBI and said it can go ahead and arrest every single AAP leader and volunteer and yet 'they won't bow down before the BJP'.
"This notice is not going to scare, the BJP can do whatever it wants, but it won't be able to shake AAP's spirits," he said.
Senior AAP leader Atishi also lashed out at the Centre, saying AAP leaders and workers are 'not scared' and the party will keep fighting 'against corruption'.
"None of the AAP leaders or workers are scared of the Centre and their threats. Our party was born out of a movement against corruption. Even if they (Centre) send us CBI or ED notice or put us behind the bars, we will keep fighting for the citizens of this country. We will keep up our fight against corruption," she said.
Opposition parties, however, said the summons by CBI show that Kejriwal is also involved in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy case.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva congratulated the people of Delhi over the CBI summons to Kejriwal.
"Delhi BJP has all along been saying that Kejriwal is the mastermind of liquor scam in which his minister Manish Sisodia is in jail. Kejriwal is directly involved in the scam because the excise policy was approved by his Cabinet under his chairmanship," Sachdeva alleged.
Delhi Congress chief Anil Chaudhary said the summons validate the Delhi Congress assertion from the very beginning that 'Kejriwal was the mastermind behind the liquor scam'.
"The PA of jailed former Excise minister Manish Sisodia had disclosed that the controversial liquor policy was formulated at the residence of Kejriwal and it was finalized with his approval.
"Kejriwal was the mastermind behind the liquor deal. The day will not be too far, when Kejriwal would be put behind the bars," he said.
