Explained | 'Knew I'd be Next': CBI Summons Kejriwal in Liquor Policy Case

The AAP chief was summoned by the probe agency based on evidence, which it claims to have against him.

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses a press conference after CBI summoned him for questioning in the now-scrapped liquor policy case on April 16, in New Delhi, on Saturday, 15 April. 

(Photo: PTI)

"The day I spoke against corruption in Delhi Assembly, I knew I would be [summoned] next," said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a press conference held on Saturday, 15 April, a day after he was summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for questioning in connection with the alleged liquor excise policy scam.

Saying that Kejriwal's fight against corruption won't stop at any cost, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), backed by several Opposition parties including the Congress, slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of misusing central agencies.

In his address, Kejriwal also accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of lying under oath and presenting false evidence to the court.

Why Has Kejriwal Been Summoned?

The Delhi chief minister was summoned by the probe agency based on evidence, which it claims to have against him.

According to reports, Kejriwal has been accused by the ED of holding FaceTime conversations with Sameer Mahendru, a liquor businessman and the prime accused in the alleged scam.

What Is the Liquor Excise Policy Case?

A new policy was introduced by the Arvind Kejriwal-led government that sought to shut down 600 government-operated vends to pave way for swanky, new, privately-owned shops – marking the exit of the government from selling liquor.

However, the policy was later withdrawn by the Delhi government after Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended a CBI probe into whether undue benefits were allegedly extended to liquor licensees at the cost of the public exchequer.

Naming the ex-deputy CM as the prime accused in the case, the CBI alleged that a liquor trader paid Rs one crore to a company managed by an associate of Sisodia, among other charges.

In response to CBI raids at his residence and other locations, Sisodia had said, "Satyendar Jain is already in jail, I will also be arrested in 2-3 days; there is a conspiracy to stop work in the education and health sector."

What Happened to Manish Sisodia?

A Delhi court on Monday, 3 April, extended AAP leader Manish Sisodia’s judicial custody till 17 April in connection with the excise policy case filed by the CBI and ED.

The bail application of the former deputy CM, who was arrested by the authorities on 26 February, has also been dismissed.

In a letter addressed to PM Modi, nine senior Opposition leaders had condemned Sisodia's arrest as a 'witch-hunt'. The signatories included West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, among others.

'Reality Is Different': What Kejriwal Said on the Summons

“BJP leaders have been saying since yesterday that Kejriwal will be arrested. So, if BJP has given orders to the CBI to arrest, then how can CBI disobey their orders? They will have to follow BJP’s orders,” Kejriwal said on Saturday.

Responding to allegations that Delhi's former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia destroyed 14 phones, Kejriwal said, "Out of this, 5 phones are with CBI and ED custody. We inquired about the other phones and most of these phones are alive and someone is using them. The ED and the CBI know this. The CBI and the ED lied on oath and on affidavit and presented false evidence in front of the court because there is no excise scam and they could not get anything"

“I want to tell Modiji, if Kejriwal is corrupt, then in this world, there is no one who is honest,” the party head said.

“They are saying a bribe of ₹100 crore was taken. But they have not found a single rupee. Then they said it was used in Goa elections, but they did raids and did not find anything. If I say today that on the evening on December 17 I gave ₹1,000 crore to Narendra Modi, will you arrest him on the basis of this? I will have to give some proof, right? Similarly, they are saying we took ₹100 crore, but there is no proof,” Kejriwal said.  

How Have Opposition Parties Reacted?

Soon after news of the summons to Kejriwal emerged, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called the Delhi chief minister to discuss Opposition unity, Deccan Herald reported citing sources.

However, Anil Kumar Chaudhary, the president of Congress' Delhi unit, reportedly sang a different tune and was quoted by Times of India as saying, "It has now become crystal clear that Kejriwal was the mastermind behind the liquor deal, and he was in the full know of everything that transpired in the case."

Meanwhile, in response to a question, Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar said, "People know what is happening against him (Kejriwal). He is a well-regarded person and he has done a lot of developmental work in his state. He will reply to all the actions that have been initiated against him at the appropriate time."

Former Congress leader Kapil Sibal also issued a statement on the CBI summoning Kejriwal. "They (the BJP) want an Opposition-free India and are targeting all Opposition leaders. We've seen how they have targeted Opposition chief ministers of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Kerala and other leaders," Sibal said.

(With inputs from The Hindu, India Today, Times of India, and Deccan Herald.)