The fact that three top AAP leaders are behind bars with chances of bail whittled down to hardly likelihood, Arvind Kejriwal’s accomplishment of avoiding central investigating agencies' summons and whatever consequences thereof is something to take to the Guinness. As of now, the confidence level in AAP is the highest it will ever be. Isn’t it quaint that Kejriwal used a self-imposed motion of no-confidence against his government to drum up confidence in him and prevent a court from hauling him to its august presence?

The manner and the excuses Kejriwal used to escape the Enforcement Directorate dragnet are the mark of genius – six in a row summonses. And it’s his video image that presented itself before the Rouse Avenue Court. As of now, the Modi government, the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate, the judiciary, nobody can do zilch to the Aam Aadmi Party convener.

The Delhi Chief Minister inserted a no-confidence motion to cock a snook at the court summons to “physically present” himself. But, of course, the self-imposed no-confidence motion against his rule was of no consequence. It was a show of strength that followed charges that the Bharatiya Janata Party was bent on overthrowing the Kejriwal government by buying AAP MLAs at Rs 25 crore per MLA.

Kejriwal excused himself, told the court he couldn’t present himself “physically” and “appeared via video conferencing” to continue to skip the sixth summons. There’s nothing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) could do. Whatever happened to the court’s "legally bound" ultimatum is not known, but the court has now posted the case to be heard on March 16. Even the court got hogtied when it came to the Delhi Chief Minister’s shenanigans.

March 16 spells a month to spend as he pleases in relative freedom and there’s a lot the AAP can do in 30 days. Kejriwal’s presence over-ground is important to the ongoing farmers’ agitation. Not least because Punjab’s farmers are at the forefront of the protests and AAP rules Punjab as also Delhi. Also, Kejriwal’s “physical presence” is a morale-booster to the protesting farmers. Don’t forget last time as many as 700 farmers met martyrdom and the Aam Aadmi Party convener’s pep-talks are the best in town.

The Enforcement Directorate has charged Kejriwal with providing "lame excuses" to avoid the summons, stating that the Delhi Chief Minister was “disobeying the law and setting a wrong example for the common man, i.e., the Aam Aadmi". Does Kejriwal care? Anybody who knows Kejriwal knows that the street-smart AAP convener is least bothered about what people think of his shenanigans.

Kejriwal's trust vote was another exercise to give the ED's sixth summons the skip. The sixth summons had asked Kejriwal to appear before the ED on February 19. The five earlier summons were rejected with the excuse that the summonses were “illegal” and the Enforcement Directorate’s sole aim was to arrest him and put him in a cell next to that of erstwhile Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

Kejriwal's impending arrest is so long expected that people have stopped thinking of it. Every time the Enforcement Directorate issues summons, there's intense speculation and then resignation. Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Satyendra Jain, three AAP leaders are behind bars, but this man eludes anticipation. Will Arvind Kejriwal succeed in remaining free for the duration of the next few months, enough time for general elections 2024 to be over and a new government in place? (IPA Service)