Delhi AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak summoned by ED, claims deputy CM Sisodia

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Monday claimed that AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with its excise policy investigation. Raising concern over the summons to Pathak, who is also AAP's in-charge for Delhi Municipal Corporation elections, Sisodia wondered whether the agency was targeting the MCD polls.

"The ED has summoned AAP's MCD poll in-charge Durgesh Pathak today. What has our MCD poll in-charge to do with Delhi government's excise policy? Is their target liquor policy or MCD poll?" Sisodia said in a tweet in Hindi.

There was no official confirmation yet from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the summons.

The Enforcement Directorate had last week conducted raids at multiple locations across the country in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 after taking over the case from the CBI, which has named Sisodia as accused in its FIR.

Sisodia is under the scanner for alleged procedural lapses which provided undue benefits to the tender process for liquor licensees for the year 2021-22. Delhi chief secretary's report found prima facie violations of GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR) 1993, Delhi Excise Act 2009 and Delhi Excise Rules 2010, in the implementation of Delhi excise policy 2021-22.

The Kejriwal government withdrew the policy in July after the CBI probe was recommended by Delhi L-G VK Saxena into the alleged irregularities but maintained that the allegations were politically motivated.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said he has failed to understand what the liquor scam was about, and advised the Centre to do positive things for progress of the country instead of "harassing" everyone with the CBI and the ED.

"If the Centre does not do any positive work and keep troubling and scaring everyone with CBI and ED, how will the country progress?" he asked at a news conference.