For Arvind Kejriwal, it’s back to the Ramlila Maidan where it all started

Mr Kejriwal was sworn in at Ramlila Maidan in 2013 after becoming Delhi’s youngest chief minister.

New Delhi:

Key leaders of the Indian bloc today united to hold a rally in the national capital to show their collective strength and unity following the recent arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Dubbed ‘Loktantra Bachao’ or ‘Save Democracy’, the event will see the participation of prominent leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, Malikajun Haji and Farooq Abdullah. But for Mr. Kejriwal, who is currently in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an alleged money laundering case related to the Delhi Liquor Policy Scam of 2022, it all goes back to where it started – Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan.

Ramlila Maidan is more than just a place for festivals and celebrations. Nestled near Ajmeri Gate, this historic piece of land has witnessed the ebb and flow of time, evolving from a venue for Ramlila celebrations in the 19th century to a venue for political protests in the national capital. Ground Zero.”

It was graced by Nikita Khrushchev in 1955 during an important visit to the Soviet Union. In 1959, then-US President Dwight Eisenhower delivered a speech in Independence Square. It was here that Jayaprakash Narayan united the masses during the dark days of the Emergency, igniting the fire of dissent that ultimately led to the restoration of democracy.

It was at Ramlila Maidan that Mr Kejriwal’s political career began as he faced legal troubles.

From his days as an anti-corruption activist alongside Anna Hazare to his tenure as Delhi’s seventh chief minister, Mr Kejriwal’s public career is deeply influenced by his role at Ramlila Maidan The impact of the protests.

In 2011, Ramlila Maidan became the base for Anna Hazare’s 12-day fast protest in support of the Jan Lokpal Bill. During this period, Kejriwal stood by him and won widespread recognition in Delhi. Mr Kejriwal was sworn in at Ramlila Maidan in 2013 after becoming Delhi’s youngest chief minister. He will repeat this in 2015 and then again in 2020.

Today, as opposition leaders gather at the historic venue, Delhi Chief Minister’s wife Sunita Kejriwal will read out a message written by her husband in ED custody.

Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav are also expected to attend the rally.

The opposition is expected to strongly criticize the BJP for using central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, Confederation of Indian Industry and the Income Tax Department.

The BJP maintains that Mr Kejriwal’s arrest by the education ministry and the tax notices issued to Parliament were the result of agencies operating autonomously and adhering to legal protocols. Furthermore, it criticized the AAP for insisting that the Delhi Chief Minister govern from jail.