The Chief Minister of Delhi and the National Convenor of Aam Admi Party, Arvind Kejriwal was arrested last night by the Enforcement Directorate over his alleged involvement in Delhi liquor scam. He is the first sitting Chief Minister to be arrested in the history of India.
On 31st January 2024, former CM of Jharkhand, Hemant Soren, resigned from the post just hours before his arrest by the ED.
The Delhi CM had been summoned by ED nine times which he did not answer claiming that the summons were illegal.
It is alleged that the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP. The policy was later scrapped. AAP leader Manish Sisodia and Telangana Member of Parliament K Kavitha were also arrested in this case.
The AAP has called for a massive all India protest today outside the BJP Headquarters in against the arrest of their National convenor. Kejriwal’s legal team had filed a plea in the Supreme Court on Thursday night for an urgent hearing to quash the arrest by ED. The case is scheduled to be heard today.
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AAP leaders alleged that the arrest of a national party leader just ahead of the elections only shows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s fears of Arvind Kejriwal. Claiming that even after two years of investigation, neither CBI nor ED have any evidence against the leaders, APP’s Atishi Singh said that it is the murder of democracy.
“If you want to fight, then come forward and fight. Stop fighting by hiding behind ED. Our fight will continue from the streets to the Parliament,” Singh said.
“India is under an undeclared Emergency,” AAP MP Raghav Chadha had said on Thursday night, adding that India’s democracy stands “critically endangered”. He also slammed the BJP of misusing agencies calling it “an act of cowardice, and a vicious plot to silence the strongest opposition voices.”
Following Kejriwal’s arrest, leaders of the INDI Alliance extended solidarity with AAP and expressed concerns for democracy in the country. Here are what some leaders said –
Mallikarjun Kharge, INC: The arrogant BJP, which makes false claims of victory every day, is trying to weaken the opposition by all means and illegal means before the elections. If there was real confidence of victory then the accounts of the main opposition party – Congress Party would not have been frozen by misusing the constitutional institutions. Leaders of opposition parties are not targeted right before the elections. The truth is that BJP is already scared of the upcoming election results and in panic is creating all kinds of problems for the opposition.
It’s time for change!
MK Stalin, DMK: Ahead of #Elections2024, driven by fear of a decade of failures and the imminent defeat, the Fascist BJP Govt sinks to despicable depths by arresting Hon’ble Delhi CM @ArvindKejriwal, following the unjust targeting of brother @HemantSorenJMM.
Not a single BJP leader faces scrutiny or arrest, laying bare their abuse of power and the decay of democracy. The relentless persecution of opposition leaders by the BJP Govt smacks of a desperate witch-hunt. This tyranny ignites public fury, unmasking BJP’s true colours. But their futile arrests only fuel our resolve, fortifying the #INDIA alliance’s march to victory.
Sharad Pawar, NCP: Strongly condemn the vindictive misuse of central agencies to target the opposition, especially as general elections loom. This arrest showcases the depth to which BJP will stoop for power. ‘INDIA’ stands united against this unconstitutional action against #ArvindKejriwal
Akhilesh Yadav, SP: Those who are themselves imprisoned in the fear of defeat. What will ‘they’ do by imprisoning someone else? BJP knows that it will not come to power again, due to this fear, it wants to remove the opposition leaders from the public by any means at the time of elections, arrest is just an excuse. This arrest will give birth to a new people’s revolution
Sitaram Yechury, CPI (M): Strongly condemn the arrest of Delhi CM, Shri Arvind Kejriwal by the ED. It’s the second sitting CM of the INDIA bloc to be arrested. Clearly, Modi and the BJP are in panic over people’s rejection in the ongoing elections. All opposition leaders who defected and joined the BJP are protected and patronised. They are the ‘Satya Harishchandras’! These arrests will only cement people’s desire to defeat BJP, defend democracy and Indian Constitution.
Tejaswi Yadav, RJD: The arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal clearly shows that instead of fighting the opposition democratically, BJP wants to fight the elections under the cover and strong help of investigative agencies and other constitutional institutions. The NDA government has imposed an undeclared emergency on the country, violating political, democratic and constitutional morality and dignity. We all stand firmly with the extremely popular government of the people of Delhi. As we all had openly declared from Patna and Mumbai – we are not people who are afraid but people who fight and win.
Rahul Gandhi, INC: A scared dictator wants to create a dead democracy. While capturing all the institutions including the media, breaking up the parties, extorting money from companies, freezing the account of the main opposition party was not enough for the ‘devilish power’, now the arrest of the elected Chief Ministers has also become a common thing. INDIA will give a befitting reply to this.
Supriya Sule, NCP: I stand in solidarity with @ArvindKejriwal ji. This is yet another politically motivated arrest by the ED at the behest of the BJP Government to suppress the voice of the opposition & undermine the electorate at large. We are resilient and united in our fight for constitutional democracy.
KC Venugopal, INC: The ED raids and arrest of Sh. Arvind Kejriwal is yet another example of the BJP’s plans of destroying all opposition – by hook or by crook. On a day when the complete data on electoral bonds has been released, which will totally expose their extortion racket, the BJP has deployed a diversionary tactic with this move. Arresting Kejriwal ji a month before election shows their vendetta knows no bounds. We strongly condemn this draconian action. This is fascism.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, INC: Targeting Delhi Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal in this manner due to elections is completely wrong and unconstitutional. Lowering the level of politics in this manner suits neither the Prime Minister nor his government.
Fight your critics in the electoral battle, confront them boldly, and of course attack their policies and working style – this is democracy. But in this way, using the power of all the institutions of the country to fulfill one’s political objective and weakening them by exerting pressure is against every principle of democracy.
The bank accounts of the country’s largest opposition party Congress have been frozen, all the political parties and their leaders are under pressure day and night from ED, CBI, IT, one Chief Minister has been put in jail, now the other Chief Minister is also in jail. Preparations are being made to take it. Such a shameful scene is being seen for the first time in the independent history of India.
