19 February,2024 02:31 PM IST | Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Arvind Kejriwal/ File Photo
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed concerns on Monday, claiming that a "serious constitutional crisis" has formed in the national capital as a result of police refusing to work, purportedly under pressure from the BJP.
Kejriwal said the underlying issue of Delhi's lack of complete statehood, which means that real authority is centralised with the national government, which is currently run by a different political party. He accused the opposition party of blocking Delhi's elected government.
The chief minister stated that even vital projects, such as the one-time settlement system for fixing water bills, are being hampered by the reluctance of some bureaucrats. He accused the BJP of coercing these personnel into impeding the scheme's execution.
Kejriwal emphasised the gravity of the situation, claiming that the officers' failure to comply has resulted in a "serious constitutional crisis" in Delhi. He requested Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena to intercede and approve the initiative, which is projected to help approximately 10.5 lakh families.
There was no quick response from the BJP to Kejriwal's charges.
Arvind Kejriwal skips 6th ED summons
Arvind Kejriwal, who was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate, did not appear before the agency on Monday for questioning in a money laundering case linked to an excise policy matter. Meanwhile, his party termed the summons as 'illegal'.
Reportedly, Kejriwal said at the Delhi Assembly that a reply to ED was being given per the law.
"We are replying as per the law. Now, ED has filed a case in the court and they should wait for the decision of the court before issuing any fresh summons," he said per the PTI report.
The AAP leadership, including Kejriwal, has been claiming that the saffron party wanted to arrest him to topple the Kejriwal-led government in Delhi and finish the party.
Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, in his rebuttal, said that even the court has admitted that the ED summons to Kejriwal were legal and that he should cooperate in the probe.
"It is contempt of court if Kejriwal is terming the ED summonses illegal despite the court's observation. The Delhi chief minister is not ready to accept that scam has been done in the excise policy. The probe agencies are doing their job and he will also be behind bars like Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh," Sachdeva said, per PTI report.
