ED is BJP's political instrument wielded to demolish Opposition: Atishi on allegations against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi Education Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Atishi Marlena on Thursday, March 21, said that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is now perceived as a political instrument of the BJP rather than an impartial investigative body, being wielded to demolish the Opposition.

Speaking about the agency's summons to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Atishi Marlena said that the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) motive is to arrest the Chief Minister at the behest of BJP to prevent him from contesting Lok Sabha elections 2024. 

Her comments came after Kejriwal filed plea in Delhi High Court asking it to direct ED not to take coercive action against him.  

"ED's motive is hundred per cent clear. They only want to arrest Arvind Kejriwal at the behest of BJP so that he cannot campaign in the Lok Sabha elections," PTI quoted the Delhi Education Minister as saying.

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The investigation agency has so far issued nine summons against the AAP's national convenor.

The Delhi UT minister that it is “very clear that ED is no more an independent investigating agency”. She said that the ED is a political tool of the BJP. “Today, ED is being used to finish the Opposition,” she said, according to ANI. 

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She further said that ‘had arrest not been their goal, they could have said so before the court’.

Meanwhile, Delhi Minister and AAP leader Gopal Rai said that the party has approached the court for relief in a move against the BJP's intentions.

On March 21, ED had called Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to appear before it in the Excise Case. The division bench led by Justice Suresh Kumar Kait was to hear the matter in the Delhi High Court on March 21. 

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Arvind Kejriwal moved a fresh plea seeking no coercive action against him and termed the declaration of section (2) (s) of PMLA to be ultra vires, unconstitutional and arbitrary in his plea. 

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Citing sources, PTI reported that the CM's plea mentioned the present petition is being filed in extremely urgent and emergent circumstances, calling the procedure under PMLA arbitrary. 

Arvind Kejriwal alleged that PMLA is employed to create a non-level playing field for the impending general elections scheduled to be held from April 19, 2024. 

He further accused the BJP-led Centre, that controls the ED through the Ministry of Finance, of attempting to skew the electoral process in their favour.

(With agency inputs)