We fear Arvind Kejriwal may be arrested, PM Modi fears him: Atishi

Delhi PWD minister Atishi on Tuesday alleged that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) will arrest chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal when he appears before them "because Prime Minister Narendra Modi fears him".

The ED on Monday issued a summons for Kejriwal to appear for questioning on 2 November in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam case. The AAP national convenor has been asked to depose at the ED's Delhi office at 11.00 am.

Kejriwal was earlier subjected to questioning by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in April, while the ED summons arrived on the same day as the Supreme Court's denial of bail to former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia.

Atishi said, "Arvind Kejriwal's potential arrest is not due to any specific legal case against him but rather because the prime minister harbours apprehensions about him."

“The BJP and PM Modi are aware that they cannot defeat the AAP in elections. Therefore, in an attempt to dismantle the AAP, they are incarcerating its prominent leaders. Placing the key figures of the Aam Aadmi Party behind bars signifies only one thing — the BJP's determination to obliterate the AAP,” she said, addressing the media in New Delhi.

Kejriwal (55) has been issued the summons under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and according to sources, the agency will record his statement once he deposes before the investigating officer of the case in Delhi.

This is the first time that Kejriwal has been summoned by the ED. Reacting to the summons, Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said it is clear that the BJP-led Centre's only goal is to finish the AAP. "They are leaving no stone unturned to frame Kejriwal in a fake case and send him to jail," Bharadwaj said.