Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday skipped summons by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the now-scrapped excise policy and flew to poll-bound Madhya Pradesh to address a rally, alleging that the agency was acting at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to malign his image.

Kejriwal was summoned to appear before ED at its headquarters in connection with its money laundering probe in the excise policy. On April 16, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned Kejriwal in a parallel probe it is conducting into allegations of irregularities in the same policy.

But the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief wrote a letter to ED, saying that the summons were politically motivated and didn’t clarify whether he was called as a witness or an accused, as the chief minister of Delhi or the AAP chief.

“It is apparent that the said summons was leaked to select BJP leaders to malign my image and reputation and has been issued at the behest of the ruling party at the Centre,” Kejriwal wrote in the two-page letter.

“…please recall the said summons, which is to say the least, is vague and motivated and I am advised, unsustainable in law,” he added.

Kejriwal also wrote that the summons failed to do three things — clarify in what capacity he was being asked to come, as a witness or a subject in the investigation, provide reasons why he was summoned, and specify whether he was called in his individual capacity or official role as CM or AAP convener — and called it a “fishing and roving” inquiry.

ED did not respond to Kejriwal’s letter.

In the afternoon, he flew to Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh, which goes to the polls on November 17, and addressed a road show.

“On the day of counting (December 3), I do not know whether I will be in jail or outside but wherever I will be everyone should say that Arvind Kejriwal had come to Singrauli and the people of Singrauli gave (AAP) a historic victory,” Kejriwal said, flanked by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and local AAP candidates.

Kejriwal’s decision to skip the summons sparked a political controversy with the AAP calling it a “conspiracy” to keep the CM from campaigning in poll-bound states and the BJP alleging that he was “running away” from ED.

Read Here | ED summons illegal, should be withdrawn immediately: Kejriwal ahead of questioning

The AAP’s Delhi convener and state minister Gopal Rai said, “The conspiracy has been hatched to prevent Arvind Kejriwal from campaigning in the poll-bound states. The summons is not from ED, CBI, but from BJP. BJP has dictated the summons to Arvind Kejriwal.”

BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “Arvind Kejriwal ran away from ED’s summons. He does not want to face the truth… It won’t be an exaggeration to say that the Delhi liquor scam king has accepted that he was involved in liquor scam and corruption.”

Kejriwal was summoned hours after the Supreme Court denied bail to former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in the same case, finding that at least one charge of windfall gains of ₹338 crore made by liquor wholesalers was tentatively established. ED arrested senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh earlier this month in connection with the excise policy case.

All three leaders have denied the allegations and said they were a political ploy.

The excise policy was rolled out for the 2021-22 financial year in November 2021, marking the exit of the government from retail sales of alcohol and allowing private companies to bid for licenses. The objective, the Delhi government said, was to improve the buying experience for citizens by allowing market competition to raise standards.

But the policy was scrapped when Delhi’s lieutenant governor VK Saxena asked for an investigation, citing a report by the chief secretary who alleged irregularities. The AAP and the Capital’s elected government have rejected the charges, alleging it to be a ploy by the BJP-led Union government to target its rival.

In one of its charge sheets filed in the case — ED has filed five so far — the financial crimes agency had said that the excise policy was Kejriwal’s “brainchild”. The chief minister’s name was also mentioned in the past in court documents, including charge sheets and remand papers, in reference to alleged meetings, fixing commissions for private players, and the entry of political players and businesspeople from the south into Delhi’s liquor business.

But he was neither named in the first information report (FIR) filed on August 17 last year nor identified as an accused in any document filed by the agencies so far.

In his letter, Kejriwal alleged that on October 30, BJP leaders started saying that he would be summoned and arrested, and that he received the summons the same evening. He also cited BJP member of Parliament (MP) Manoj Tiwari as saying that Kejriwal would be arrested.

The chief minister said he is the AAP’s national convener, and is required to travel as a “star campaigner” of his party to five poll-bound states this month. He also said his official commitments as CM needed his presence, particularly in view of Diwali.

Later in the day in Madhya Pradesh, he again attacked the BJP.

“The BJP has governments in many states but they do not work, they do not allow others to work. They do not allow me to work in Delhi. For the last few days, they are threatening that Kejriwal will be arrested. You can arrest Kejriwal physically but how will you arrest his thinking (soch)… how will you arrest thousands of Kejriwal (people). Everyone in the country is comparing the work done by AAP government in Delhi with the work done in BJP ruled states. How many mouths will you shut? I am not afraid of going to jail,” Kejriwal said.

The AAP maintained its leaders were being framed in an “attempt to finish” it even as the BJP insisted Delhi’s ruling party had brought the troubles upon itself.