Congress's Ajay Maken has asked the party not to support Arvind Kejriwal
Congress leader Ajay Maken has asked the party not to "support" and "show any sympathy" to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Delhi liquor policy case, as doing so would "confuse" the Congress cadre and "benefit" the BJP.
Mr Maken's comment comes a day after Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge dialled Mr Kejriwal and discussed the need for opposition unity to face the BJP in the national election next year.
The Congress chief is said to have expressed solidarity with Mr Kejriwal on getting the CBI summons in the liquor policy case, in which the Delhi Chief Minister's former deputy Manish Sisodia was arrested last month.
Mr Maken's long statement on why the Congress should stay away from Mr Kejriwal's problems is likely to make matters complicated amid the call for opposition unity.
"I believe that individuals like Kejriwal and his associates who face serious corruption charges should not be shown any sympathy or support. The allegations of Liquorgate and Gheegate must be thoroughly investigated and those found guilty should be punished," Mr Maken said in a statement, referring to the liquor policy case and an alleged code word - "15 gm ghee" for Rs 15 crore in cash - used by jailed conman Sukesh Chandrashekar in his communication with politicians and middlemen.
"It is important for all political leaders, including those from the Indian National Congress (INC), to recognize that the money gained through corrupt means by Kejriwal has been used against the Congress Party in several states, including Punjab, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Delhi," Mr Maken said.
Mr Maken, who was Congress chief in 2015, is still smarting from the bitter defeat Mr Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) delivered to his party in the Delhi election that year. The Congress did not win a single seat in Delhi that year after being in power for three terms.
"Kejriwal founded the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 2013 with the aim of fighting corruption, following the Anna Hazare movement... Since 2015, Kejriwal and his party have failed to push for a stronger Lokpal bill. Instead, they have become known for their protests, marches, and counter-allegations only seeking more power. Now that CBI or Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Kejriwal, a stronger Lokpal bill instead could have investigated the Gheegate allegations," Mr Maken said.
"In conclusion, I appeal to capable advocates and senior working committee members, now steering committee members, to please refrain from representing Kejriwal or his government in court. While it is within their professional realm to represent anyone, doing so for Kejriwal's government and associates sends the wrong message to our cadres and confuses them. It ultimately benefits the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by dividing Congress party votes," Mr Maken said, request lawyers in the Congress not to help Mr Kejriwal fight any legal case.
Mr Kejriwal was questioned as a witness in the case which investigators said involved corruption in framing the policy to benefit a liquor lobby. He hasn't been summoned for further questioning by the central agency so far.
The excise policy was cleared by the Delhi government after an inquiry was ordered by the then Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal. The clearance came after it had been deferred twice. The CBI wants to find out why, among other corruption allegations.
The Delhi government scrapped the new liquor policy in July 2022, less than a year after it was introduced, and reverted to the old policy.