"Will Build As Many Schools As You Send Summons": Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today asserted that he will continue to provide quality education despite all the summons by the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi liquor policy case. He said he will open as many schools in the city as the number of summons that are sent to him by probe agencies.

"We will build as many schools as you send summons. You do your religion, we will do ours," the Aam Aadmi Party leader said on X.

After laying the foundation stone of a government school building in Mayur Vihar, Mr Kejriwal alleged that the BJP-led Centre has unleashed all its probe agencies against him as though he was the "biggest terrorist" of the country.

He has been asked to appear before a city court on February 17 in connection with a complaint case filed by the ED against him. The leader has skipped five summons issued against him by the probe agency for questioning in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy case.

Mr Kejriwal was earlier questioned in this case - for nine hours - by the Central Bureau of Investigation; this was in April last year. He is not an accused so far. "CBI asked 56 questions (but) everything is fake. Am convinced they don't have a single piece of evidence," he had said.

However, two senior AAP members, including ex-Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, have been arrested. Mr Sisodia was arrested in February last year and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh in October.

The case refers to allegations the AAP government's revamped alcohol sales policy allowed it to receive crores in kickbacks from cartels, and that this money was channelled into funding poll expenses in Goa and other states.

The chief minister asserted that providing quality education to all children will eradicate poverty within a generation and said his government is opening schools after schools in Delhi to achieve that goal.

"We have opened so many magnificent schools since the AAP government was formed in Delhi. Several new schools have been inaugurated recently, including in Burari, Rohini and Palam, in which 1.5 lakh children will get education," he said.

Everyone will get free and quality education in Delhi, the chief minister said, adding that new school buildings are being built replacing the old ones. The new schools will have the best infrastructure, including laboratories, libraries, elevators and activity rooms, he said.

(with PTI inputs)