AAP has called for nationwide protests against the BJP.
New Delhi:
Aam Aadmi Party leader Atish on Friday termed the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as a “political conspiracy” of the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying it was the first time the central government has arrested a sitting chief minister.
“This is the first time that a sitting chief minister has been arrested by the central government. Even the Jharkhand chief minister resigned before his arrest. For the first time in the history of the state, after the Lok Sabha elections were announced, national convener Atty “A member of the National Party has been arrested,” Shish told a press conference on Friday. Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest is a political conspiracy of the BJP. “
She further said the party was confident that the Supreme Court would protect democracy in the country.
“If this is not an attempt to undermine the level playing field, then what is?… We hope the Supreme Court will protect democracy in the country today too…BJP wants Arvind Kejriwal not to contest Lok Sabha Elections… We are in touch with the Union of India leaders who have expressed solidarity with Arvind Kejriwal,” she added.
Meanwhile, Delhi ministers have expressed concerns over the safety of the Delhi chief minister.
“This is the first arrest of a sitting chief minister in the country. Arvind Kejriwal has Z security cover. Now he is in the custody of Central Government Education Department. We are worried about his safety,” Atishi posted on Friday X.
A team from the Enforcement Directorate reached Kejriwal’s residence on Thursday to question him in connection with the liquor policy case. Kejriwal was arrested in dramatic circumstances during a search operation at his residence as the AAP convener failed to get interim protection from arrest from the Delhi High Court in the liquor policy case.
The Enforcement Directorate then took him to the agency’s headquarters.
After Kejriwal’s arrest, AAP workers and leaders rallied behind him, while India Group leaders also expressed support for the AAP leader. The BJP leader backed the ED’s action against the Delhi chief minister, stressing that “truth must prevail”.
Also, the Chief Minister of Delhi, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case, has been moved to the Supreme Court. However, he did not receive any special hearing late at night.
Delhi minister and AAP leader Gopal Rai announced that the fight has begun and said the Aam Aadmi Party would hold nationwide protests against the “illegal” arrest of Arvind Kejriwal.
Parties across the Indian bloc have come out in support of Kejriwal and criticized the BJP for using ED as a weapon against the opposition.
The ED also arrested the daughter of Bharat Rashta Samithi (BRS) leader and former Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on March 15 in connection with investigations into money laundering charges related to the now-defunct excise policy.
Two senior AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are in judicial custody in the GST policy case. Sisodia, then deputy chief minister of Delhi, was arrested by India’s Central Bureau of Investigation on February 26 after multiple rounds of interrogation. On October 5, ED arrested Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
