"Refrain from supporting Kejriwal": Ajay Maken asks Congress not to show sympathy amid CBI probe

New Delhi [India], April 16 : Former Delhi Congress chief 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 it would "confuse" the party cadre and "benefit" the BJP.

He also appealed to the lawyers and senior working committee members to refrain from representing Kejriwal or his government in court.

"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", Maken said.

"It ultimately benefits the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by dividing Congress Party votes," Maken added in his tweet.

Maken's comment comes a day after Congress has been taking other Opposition parties on board to defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha Polls.

Former Member of Lok Sabha Ajay Maken said that Kejriwal and his associates who face serious corruption charges should not be shown any sympathy or support.

Taking to Twitter, Maken said, "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."

He further added, "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."

"Kejriwal founded the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 2013 with the aim of fighting corruption, following the Anna Hazare movement. The party promised to enact the Lokpal bill, which the opposition parties viewed as a solution to corruption in the Congress Party. However, Kejriwal dissolved his own government in February 2014, just 40 days after coming to power, demanding a strong Lokpal bill, which was later made public", he said.

Maken further said, "Despite this, in December 2015, Kejriwal introduced a watered-down version of the Lokpal Bill that differed greatly from the original bill proposed in 2014. This exposes the true character and intentions of Kejriwal. The original bill, which formed the basis for dissolving his 40-day government, has yet to be implemented."

Maken also alleged that Kejriwal and his party became known for their protests and counter-allegations. "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", he said.

"Now that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Kejriwal, a stronger Lokpal bill instead, could have investigated the GheeGate allegations", he added.