Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and wife Sunita Kejriwal during a meeting (File)
New Delhi:
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri today took a swipe at jailed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as someone who has “very little time”, referring to the end of his prime ministership.
Mr Puri said the wife of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sunita Kejriwal is likely to be preparing to take the top position soon. “Kejriwal’s wife was not just a colleague at the tax authorities. They sidelined everyone. Now Madam is probably preparing for the top position,” the Housing and Urban Affairs Minister told reporters in Delhi today.
“Kejriwal has not responded to the summons nine times. Subsequently, the Enforcement Directorate officials went to his house. Let it be said, Kejriwal’s time is very limited,” said Mr Puri, who is also Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural gas is.
Mr Kejriwal has been arrested for alleged money laundering in the framing of the now-dropped Delhi liquor policy case. His custody at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was extended by four days yesterday.
The Union minister also criticized the Congress for protesting against legitimate tax demands. “Everyone has to file tax returns. Their incomes have only increased,” he said.
The Congress received a notice of Rs 1,700 crore from the Income Tax department, a day after the Delhi High Court rejected the party’s plea challenging the tax assessments. The new notice applies to assessment years 2017-18 to 2020-21 and includes penalties and interest.
Referring to a planned protest by the opposition INDIA bloc on March 31, Mr Puri said: “Their time is over. Talk about them in the past tense.”
While Mr Kejriwal is in custody, his wife Sunita Kejriwal today made her third video announcement on his behalf, announcing a “Kejriwal ko aashirwad” campaign. She shared a WhatsApp number and asked people to send messages for Mr Kejriwal.
Sunita Kejriwal is a former Indian Revenue Services (IRS) officer who worked in the Income Tax Department for 22 years. She met Arvind Kejriwal during a training program in Bhopal. She is from the 1994 batch while her husband is from the 1995 batch.