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New Delhi:

In the latest development in the drama surrounding the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) summons to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his refusal to appear before it, a Delhi court has asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader to appear in court on March 16.

The fresh summons comes after the central agency, which wants to question Mr Kejriwal in connection with the Delhi excise policy case, told the court that the Chief Minister had skipped multiple summons issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Mr Kejriwal has skipped as many as eight summonses issued by the ED. He has accused the Narendra Modi government of using central agencies such as ED to target Opposition leaders.

The last summons by the agency was issued late in February and set March 4 as the date of questioning. The AAP leader skipped the summons, calling it “illegal”, but said he was ready to appear before the agency through video-conferencing. The central agency, however, insisted on a physical appearance and said there is no provision for questioning via video-conferencing.

The ED has earlier arrested two top AAP leaders, Delhi’s former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, in the money laundering case relating to Delhi’s now-scrapped excise policy.

Mr Kejriwal’s name has been mentioned multiple times in charge sheets filed by the ED. The agency has said that the accused in the case were in touch with the Chief Minister during the preparation of the excise policy.

The AAP leader has hit out at the Centre over the summons. “Those who refuse to join the BJP are sent to jail. Satyendar Jain, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh will get bail tomorrow if they join the BJP today. Even I will stop getting ED summonses if I join the BJP now,” he said.

The AAP has said several court rulings have held that the ED must inform in what capacity a person is being summoned. “Unfortunately, the central government refuses to follow court orders and considers itself above the law,” it has said.