ED summons: Sharad Pawar backs Kejriwal, accuses Centre of misusing power

Backing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over Enforcement Directorate summoning him, Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar on Thursday said the Centre was misusing power to discourage those who do not have similar political views.

Addressing party workers here, Pawar said summons have been sent by the central probe agency to Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren as well and feared he too could be arrested.

Pawar said in the last 10 years, people have voted Kejriwal to power, adding that Aam Aadmi Party ministers have been jailed and steps were being taken to arrest him as well.

"He has been issued notices to appear before the ED. The chief minister of the country's capital. Everyone in Delhi knows he is a simple man with a clean image. It will not be surprising if he is arrested," Pawar claimed.

"This means efforts are being made to discourage those who do not have similar political views by misusing power," Pawar alleged.

Kejriwal, who is also the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener, had skipped the Enforcement Directorate summons on Wednesday.

He has so far skipped three summons by ED for questioning in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged liquor scam.

The alleged liquor scam is related to the excise policy 2021-22 that was scrapped by Kejriwal's government last year after Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe into "lapses and irregularities" in its implementation.