Akali Dal accuses Mann of giving Kejriwal 'political asylum'

Chandigarh, Dec 20 (PTI) The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Wednesday accused Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of giving a "political asylum" to AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and shielding him against an ED summons.

Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal, who has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate for questioning on Thursday, arrived for a 10-day stay at a Vipassana centre in Hoshiarpur district Wednesday evening.

Kejriwal arrived at the Dhamma Dhaja Vipassana Centre in Anandgarh, around 11 km from Hoshiarpur, despite a fresh summons to him in the excise policy-linked money laundering case.

"This is the first time in the history of the country that a chief minister of a state has got political asylum in another state to escape the clutches of a central agency," SAD spokesperson Arshdeep Kler in a statement said.

Kler asked Kejriwal to answer why was "running" from the Enforcement Directorate if he was clean. "It is clear that Kejriwal cannot face questioning." He also asked the Aam Aadmi Party national convener to not offer "lame excuses" of coming to Hoshiarpur for a Vipassana session.

The AAP had on Tuesday questioned the timing of the summons, saying the party's lawyers are studying the notice and will respond to it with "legally correct" steps.

The party said Kejriwal's Vipassana session was "pre-scheduled" and the information was in the public domain.

"Everyone knows the chief minister is leaving for Vipassana on December 19. He regularly goes for this meditation course. It's a pre-scheduled and pre-announced plan," AAP MP Raghav Chadha had said. PTI CHS VSD VN VN VN