Arvind Kejriwal speaks in court: 'ED can keep me as long it wants. It's a scam'

Arguing his own case in Delhi's Rouse Avenue court in a rare move, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday asserted that the motive of the Enforcement Directorate was to crush the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Kejriwal, who was brought to court after his six-day ED custody came to an end, said the ED's only mission was to "trap" him in the now withdrawn liquor policy case.

"I am not opposing the remand petition of the ED. The ED can keep me in custody for as many days as it wants. But this is a scam," the Delhi CM said.

"The ED had two objectives. One is to crush AAP, and the second is to create a smokescreen and run an extortion racket behind it through which they are collecting money," Kejriwal further said.

The Enforcement Directorate has sought a seven-day extension of the custody of Kejriwal for further interrogation in the money laundering case.

The AAP convenor, highlighting the ED's submission that the alleged liquor scam was worth Rs 100 crore, questioned the money trail. "If there is a liquor scam of Rs 100 crore, then where is that money? The real scam started after the ED's investigation," Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal, who has been called the "kingpin of the liquor policy scam" by the ED, said there were no grounds for his arrest.

"I was arrested, no court has proved me guilty. The CBI has filed 31,000 pages and the ED has filed 25,000 pages. Even if you read them together, there is no reason why I have been arrested?" he said.