Delhi excise policy case: Arvind Kejriwal to skip ED summons, leaves for 10-day Vipassana session

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is likely to skip questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the excise policy-linked money laundering case as he has left for an undisclosed location for a 10-day Vipassana meditation course on Wednesday, said a report by PTI, citing officials. 

On Monday, the ED had issued a fresh summons to the Delhi chief minister for questioning on December 21 in the excise policy case.

According to the report, he was scheduled to leave for the Vipassana course on Tuesday but could not do so as he was busy with the INDIA bloc meeting.

He left at around 1.30 pm on Wednesday for the pre-scheduled meditation course, said the report citing the officials.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday questioned the timing of the ED summons and said that the party's lawyers are studying the notice and “legally correct” steps will be taken.

“Lawyers are examining the ED's notice and such steps will be taken that are legally correct,” the AAP had said in a statement, adding that its legal team would reply to the notice.

Explaining that Kejriwal's Vipassana session was "pre-scheduled", AAP MP Raghav Chadha had said: “Everyone knows the chief minister is leaving for Vipassana on December 19. He regularly goes for this meditation course. It's a pre-scheduled and pre-announced plan.”

If the BJP is scared of any leader, it is Kejriwal, Chadha had said. “I am sure he haunts them in their dreams.”

Delhi cabinet minister Saurabh Bharadwaj had expressed surprise at the timing of the summons. “It was in the public domain. It was decided a month before that Kejriwal would leave for Vipassana. Why was December 21 chosen? We are also surprised. Our legal team is studying it and we will respond to it.”

Earlier, Kejriwal was summoned by the ED on November 2 but he skipped the questioning alleging that the notice was illegal and politically motivated.