“We'll See To It”: Arvind Kejriwal On Delhi Police Notice Over Poaching Claims

New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said the Delhi Police Crime Branch’s notice to him over his allegations that the BJP was attempting to “poach” AAP MLAs has no mention of any FIR and asserted that the country will not progress by such “theatrics”.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event here, Mr Kejriwal said “we will see to it” when asked about his reply to the notice.

“There is only one party that is buying everyone. Those who toppled governments in Goa and Karnataka, poached NCP-Shiv Sena alliance in Maharashtra, and tried to destabilise Congress government in Rajasthan, also contacted our MLAs,” he said.

Mr Kejriwal, who is also AAP convener, said that the Delhi Police officers were made to indulge in “theatrics” by their “political bosses”, which was quite “insulting” for them.

“I pity those officers. Young officers join police with a lot of idealism that they will protect women and reduce crime. They never think that they will be made to indulge in theatrics. Is that why they joined the police? The officers must have been feeling bad. This insult was caused by their political bosses,” he said.

A team of Delhi Police’s Crime Branch on Sunday also visited Delhi minister Atishi’s home over the MLA ‘poaching’ allegations and served her a notice. Mr Kejriwal received the notice on Saturday.

The two AAP leaders were asked to respond to the notice by Monday.

“They are asking who tried to poach AAP MLAs. The very people who are sending Crime Branch officers are those who tried to poach our MLAs,” the chief minister added.

He alleged “authoritarianism” was prevailing in the country and governments were being overthrown by using the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Mr Kejriwal has skipped multiple ED summons in connection with excise policy linked money laundering case, alleging it was a BJP conspiracy to overthrow the AAP government in Delhi by putting him under arrest.

“No problem, we will give our answer,” he said when asked about ED approaching a city court on his refusal to join the probe by the agency. The court has listed the matter for hearing on February 7.

Speaking about the political situation in Jharkhand, Mr Kejriwal said that the arrest of a “sitting chief minister was not right”.

Former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren was arrested by the ED last week in a money laundering case.

“Arresting a sitting chief minister was wrong. They waited for 48 hours to see whether the Jharkhand government would topple but JMM MLAs did not break. Whatever is happening in the country is not good for democracy,” Mr Kejriwal said.

Jharkhand’s JMM-led coalition government headed by Hemant Soren’s successor Chief Minister Champai Soren won the vote of confidence in the state assembly on Monday.

In a post on X, Mr Kejriwal greeted JMM chief Hemant Soren and new Chief Minister of the state Champai Soren, saying they won the vote of confidence by demolishing the BJP’s conspiracies. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)