Arvind Kejriwal Denounces Political Conspiracy in Court

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal presented his arguments before Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court on Thursday, as the court continued to hear the Delhi excise policy case following the conclusion of his seven-day Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody. Amid opposition from the ED, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor addressed the court, stirring high drama in the proceedings. Here are the key points from Kejriwal’s submissions:

• Kejriwal asserted that there is a deliberate attempt to tarnish AAP’s image with baseless allegations of corruption.
• Questioning the basis of his arrest, Kejriwal pointed out that being named by four witnesses shouldn’t suffice to arrest a sitting Chief Minister.
• Referring to the alleged ₹100 crore scam, Kejriwal emphasized that the money trail remains untraced, as noted by Justice Sanjiv Khanna.
• Kejriwal claimed that his arrest is part of a political conspiracy, with individuals coerced into changing their statements to implicate him.
• The excise policy case has been ongoing for two years, with initial cases filed by the CBI in August 2022 followed by an ECIR, according to Kejriwal.
• Kejriwal challenged the existence of the alleged ₹100 crore, asserting that the actual liquor scam only emerged after an investigation by the ED.
• Despite his arrest, Kejriwal expressed willingness to cooperate with investigations, stating that he can remain in remand as long as necessary.
• Kejriwal accused Sarath Reddy, an approver in the case, of donating ₹55 crore to the BJP, presenting evidence of a money trail linking him to the party.
• Stressing his innocence, Kejriwal highlighted that no court has found him guilty yet, despite extensive documentation filed by both the CBI and the ED.
• Kejriwal alleged that the ED’s motive is to suppress the Aam Aadmi Party.

In his address to the court, Kejriwal staunchly defended himself against the allegations, portraying them as politically motivated and lacking substantive evidence.