ED Gets Nod To Prosecute Arvind Kejriwal in Liquor Policy Case, AAP Cries Foul
New Delhi: In a major development ahead of the upcoming Delhi elections in February, Lieutenant Governor (L-G) VK Saxena approved the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) request to prosecute Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. The move has sparked a fresh political storm, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleging a “political conspiracy” by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to tarnish its image.
AAP leaders dismissed the allegations, calling them baseless and part of a plot to malign the party ahead of the polls. “This is nothing but a conspiracy to defame us. After two years of investigation, during which over 500 people were tortured, nothing has been found,” sources from the AAP told ABP News.
High Court Proceedings
The Delhi High Court on Friday granted the ED more time to respond to a petition filed by Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, challenging the trial court’s decision to take cognisance of the chargesheets.
Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri, while hearing the case, adjourned the matter to January 30, 2025. Initially, the court had set February 19, 2025, for the next hearing, but Kejriwal’s counsel objected to the delay, citing the upcoming elections.
“Here is a person whose elections are in January, and he is waiting endlessly for the other side to argue the matter,” Kejriwal’s lawyer argued in court, according to PTI.
Legal Arguments
In their petitions, Kejriwal and Sisodia claimed that the trial court’s cognisance of the chargesheets was invalid, as no legal sanction was obtained for prosecuting them at the time they were public servants.
Countering this, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the ED, assured the court that the required sanction had been acquired and an affidavit to this effect would be filed.
AAP’s Allegations
The AAP has consistently accused the BJP of using investigative agencies to harass its leaders. “This is nothing more than an attempt to finish AAP ahead of the elections. The BJP knows they can’t win on merit,” said an AAP spokesperson.
The controversy surrounding the Delhi liquor policy has been ongoing for two years, with multiple raids and interrogations by central agencies. Despite the intense scrutiny, AAP maintains its stance that the allegations are politically motivated and lack substance.
With the elections just weeks away, the political and legal battle is likely to intensify.