'I could have earned crores if...': Arvind Kejriwal's message ahead of questioning by CBI in liquor scam case

Ahead of his questioning by CBI in connection with the excise policy case, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday released a video message saying he will answer all the questions honestly as he has nothing to hide. "They (CBI) have called me today and I will definitely go. They are very powerful, they can send anyone to jail," the chief minister said. He also said that the BJP leaders were saying "Kejriwal ko giraftaar kerenge (Kejriwal will be arrested)".

"And perhaps the BJP has given instruction to the CBI. If BJP has ordered CBI to arrest me, then CBI will obviously follow their instructions," Kejriwal said. The chief minister alleged that the ruling party was threatening everybody from the media to judges to politicians, and it was sending everybody to jail.

The chief minister said he sat on fast two times against corruption and that he was not corrupt. "You (BJP) say that I am corrupt. I was a Commissioner in the Income Tax department, I could have earned crores if I wanted to. If Arvind Kejriwal is corrupt then there is no one in this world who is honest," the chief minister said.

Kejriwal will appear before the CBI and will be accompanied to the agency's office by his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann and cabinet colleagues. The CBI may ask Kejriwal about the policy formulation process, especially of the "untraceable" file which was earlier slated to be put before the Delhi Council of Ministers, officials said as per the news agency PTI.

The AAP supremo is being summoned as a witness and is not an accused in the excise policy case in which his former deputy Manish Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26. Sisodia was last month arrested by the Enforcement Directorate(ED) and is in judicial custody.

It is alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP. As the probe began, the policy was later scrapped. The news agency reported that the CBI may quiz Kejriwal on the statements of other accused where they have indicated the manner in which policy was allegedly influenced to favour some liquor businessmen and the 'South liquor lobby'.

In addition, the central agency may also seek his role in the formulation of the excise policy and his knowledge about the alleged influence being cast by the traders and 'South lobby' members. Kejriwal may also be asked if he was involved in the formulation of the policy before it was given approval.

(With inputs from PTI)