ED takes statement of Delhi Minister Kailash Gahlot in excise policy case
Gahlot was among those who drafted policy; AAP leader Atishi says the questioning is part of attempt by BJP to break AAP as it could not defeat the party the democratic way; BJP expresses shock at the alleged involvement of a ‘silent Minister’
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday recorded the statement of Delhi Minister Kailash Gahlot in connection with the excise policy case, in which the agency arrested Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Mr. Gahlot was one of the Ministers who had drafted the excise policy. He reached the ED headquarters around 11.45 a.m. and was questioned for about five hours.
After recording his statement, Mr. Gahlot told presspersons that he answered whatever questions he was asked and that there was no crossquestioning. “I have never been part of the Goa election campaign and I am unaware of what happened,” he said.
He confirmed that AAP leader and accused in the case, Vijay Nair, lived in the bungalow allotted to him at Civil Lines. “The government bungalow was allotted to me but I have always stayed in my private residence in Vasant Kunj because my wife and kids didn’t want to move from there,” he said, refuting allegations of corruption in the matter.
The ED’s chargesheet mentioned that some meetings related to the excise policy happened at Mr. Gahlot’s residence.
Reacting to the questioning of Mr. Gahlot, senior AAP leader Atishi said it was part of a continued attempt by the BJP to break the party as it could not defeat the AAP the democratic way. “Today it was Mr. Gahlot, tomorrow it will be me or Saurabh Bharadwaj or other elected AAP representatives. It is all an effort to break the party by using the probe agencies to make false cases,” she said.
The BJP said that Mr. Gahlot was a comparatively silent Minister in the AAP government and that it was beyond shocking that his role was being probed. “The people of Delhi now believe that all of AAP’s MLAs are inundated in corruption,” said Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachedva.
The ED had earlier summoned the AAP’s Goa unit chief Amit Palekar and some of his party colleagues from the State for questioning at its Panjim office, after it arrested Mr. Kejriwal on March 21.
On the agency’s request, a special court on Thursday extended Mr. Kejriwal’s remand till April 1. He was the fourth AAP leader arrested in the excise policy case, the others being former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Rajya Sabha Member Sanjay Singh and the party’s former communications incharge, Mr. Nair.
The ED had also arrested Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) legislator K. Kavitha on March 15. Subsequently, it alleged that she and a few others had conspired with the top AAP leaders, including Mr. Kejriwal and Mr. Sisodia, to get favours in the formulation and implementation of the liquor policy. The agency accused her of being involved in paying ₹100 crore in advance to the AAP leaders as illegal gratification.
The agency has so far arrested 16 accused persons and attached properties worth ₹128.79 crore in the excise policy case.