India Federal Investigators Question a Key Opposition Party Leader

CBI asking Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal about the liquor scam
Kejriwal is a key political opponent of Prime Minister Modi

Arvind Kejriwal, center, addresses the media before appearing for questioning at the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) headquarters on April 16.
Photographer: Naveen Sharma/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

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By Bibhudatta Pradhan and Divya Patil

April 16, 2023 at 12:25 PM UTC

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India’s federal investigative agency called in Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday to query him over allegations of irregularities in a new liquor policy — a development that risks escalating political conflict ahead of next year’s general elections.

The Central Bureau of Investigation questioned Kejriwal — a key opponent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi — for hours in a corruption probe related to the now-scrapped liquor excise policy that was accused of favoring private retailers. This case also led to the arrest of Kejriwal’s cabinet colleague and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, in February.