Kharge calls up Kejriwal to express solidarity on CBI probe

Soon after chief minister Arvind Kejriwal received summons by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday in connection with alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge telephoned the CM to express solidarity, a senior Congress leader aware of the development said on Saturday.

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The CBI has summoned Kejriwal for questioning on Sunday — the Aam Aadmi Party national convenor’s first involvement in the excise policy probe, which has already seen his deputy Manish Sisodia arrested by two central agencies — CBI, which took him in on February 26, and the Enforcement Directorate on March 9.

A senior Congress leader said Kharge spoke to Kejriwal to express solidarity, opening a direct communication channel between the top leadership of the Congress and AAP that had been non-functional for many years.

“The Congress president spoke to Delhi chief minister on Friday after Kejriwal got summons from the CBI,” the leader said, declining to be named.

To be sure, support has poured in for Kejriwal from different quarters, including Shiv Sena (UBT), Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, and independent MP Kapil Sibal.

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Kharge’s phone call also comes amid ongoing efforts to strengthen the unity among the Opposition parties — the Congress president, Kumar, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and others are working for a meeting of 20 Opposition parties in Delhi in the coming days.

A second senior Congress leader said that out of the 20 Opposition parties, there are about 10 small parties from Tamil Nadu and Kerala. “The talks with those parties (for the meeting and taking the unity forward) has already taken place. Kharge has also met Pawar, Nitish Kumar, Bihar deputy CM and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and the Samajwadi Party leadership. “The only two prominent Opposition leaders who are yet to be contacted are West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and BSP chief Mayawati,” the leader said.

According to the leader, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi —the Congress’s main adversary in Telangana — is on board for a larger Opposition unity against the Narendra Modi-led NDA government. The Opposition’s efforts to consolidate their unity after more than 18 parties protested throughout the second half of the budget session and led to near washout.

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The Opposition’s efforts to come together has not been without the Prime Minister’s criticism. During a speech in Parliament earlier this year, the PM took swipes at the Opposition and said the CBI and ED have done what electoral politics couldn’t (bringing different parties together).