The BJP on Wednesday said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should appear before the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in the Delhi excise policy-related money laundering case as he holds a constitutional post. However, it remains to be seen if the AAP will once again announce a travel plan of the chief minister for the date of questioning, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said. The BJP reactions came after the ED issued the fifth summons to Kejriwal, asking him to appear on Friday.

" The Chief Minister of Delhi himself is holding a constitutional post and by refusing last four summons, he has made a mockery of the Constitution by trying to escape by making new excuses. Our advice to Kejriwal is that he should appear for questioning before the ED," Sachdeva said,, adding that the chief minister holds a constitutional position. "However, we are watching whether or not they (AAP) come up with a travel plan of CM Kejriwal for the date when he is scheduled to be questioned by the ED, as has happened earlier," he said.

Sachdeva said that Kejriwal's situation has become like that of an economic fugitive who is hiding from the ED notice.

Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri advised Kejriwal to appear before the ED in the excise policy scam case.

The Chief Minister holds a constitutional position and should respect the law. Kejriwal has been avoiding the investigation by creating different excuses four times, but such evasive behaviour cannot last long. The AAP convener has been deliberately avoiding the ED’s summons,” said Bidhuri, adding Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren avoided the summons ten times but eventually had to participate in the investigation.

“ Kejriwal has  claimed to be ‘kattar Imandar’ or he is only honest politician in the country,  then why is running away?,” he questioned.  “Kejriwal cannot portray himself as innocent and avoid it by labelling it as a fake case. The public also understands that there is something fishy, so Kejriwal is not participating in the investigation,” he added.

Earlier, AAP's chief national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said the party's legal team is studying the ED summons and will decide what to do as per law.

It is alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge repeatedly refuted by the AAP.

The policy was scrapped after Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, following which the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The then Delhi deputy chief minister and excise department incharge Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI in connection with alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the policy on February 26 last year. Kejriwal was questioned by the CBI in connection with the case in April 2023.