Arvind Kejriwal skips ED summons in Delhi excise policy case, says notice ‘illegal and politically motivated’

Defying the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) summons, Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday took part in a roadshow for the party's Singrauli city candidate in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls.

He was accompanied by Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann.

Kejriwal, who is the AAP's national convener, did not appear before the ED for questioning in the Delhi excise policy-linked case earlier in the day, and instead wrote to the agency demanding the withdrawal of the notice summoning him claiming it was "illegal and politically motivated".

He and Mann took part in a roadshow here for the party candidate from Singrauli and AAP's state president Rani Agrawal. She is also the mayor of Singrauli city, a major electricity generation hub.

"They have been threatening since the last few days in Delhi that they will arrest Kejriwal. They threaten everyday in Delhi that they will arrest Kejriwal. You will arrest the body of Kejriwal, but how will you arrest the thinking of Kejriwal?" the Delhi CM asked amid loud cheers from his supporters.

"You will arrest Kejriwal, but how will you arrest thousands, lakhs and crores of Kejriwals spread across the entire country," asked the Delhi CM who reminded the gathering that his party was born out of the anti-corruption movement of activist Anna Hazare.

Highlighting the work done by AAP governments in Delhi and Punjab in the education and health sectors, like setting up of schools and clinics, providing free water and electricity, Kejriwal said his party had proved sceptics wrong.

When the AAP was set up, everyone used to say its candidates would lose their security deposits (in polls), but the party ended up winning a whopping 67 seats in the 70-member Delhi Assembly and repeated the formidable feat in the subsequent polls as well, he pointed out.

"People have blessed us on the basis of our work of opening schools, hospitals, providing free power and water. Earlier governments used to say there is dearth of funds for welfare schemes but the AAP proved them wrong because it is an honest party that has effectively curbed corruption," Kejriwal said.

Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party, Kejriwal said his party had worked with full honesty and had neither indulged in corruption nor allowed anyone to do it, which left lots of funds to build roads, schools, hospitals and providing several amenities free.

Hailing his party's Singrauli candidate, he said after Agrawal got elected as mayor, good roads were being built along with cow sheds and other amenities.

"Once she came to me in Delhi and asked if I can provide funds for development (of Singrauli) as the BJP government (in MP) was not providing funds or allowing her to work. The BJP has been in power in the country for eight years, for more than 15 years in MP and 30 years in Gujarat, but they don't work nor do they allow others to do so," he claimed.

Assembly polls in MP will be held on November 17, while votes will be counted on December 3.

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