New Delhi:
The arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has firmly united the Indian bloc, which has been in the headlines of late for its divisions rather than unity. Minutes after the arrests, posts from key opposition leaders flooded social media, criticizing the Center and the BJP in no uncertain terms. The main thought is that the BJP is scared ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Many claimed that the people would respond with their votes.
The first to come out of the block were Trinamool Congress leaders Derek O Brien and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
We strongly condemn the arrest of elected Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, especially when the Election Commission is in charge and the MCC is in place. Earlier, his executive powers were taken away by an illegal decree. How can we expect fair elections in India if the current chief minister and prominent opposition…
— Derek O’Brien | Derek O’Brien (@derekobrienmp) March 21, 2024
Ms Gandhi Vadra also made equally strong comments.
“Targeting Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal in this way due to the elections is completely wrong and unconstitutional. To lower the level of politics in this way neither suits the Prime Minister nor his government,” she said at X wrote.
“A scared dictator wants to create a lifeless democracy. While seizing all institutions, including the media, dismantling political parties, extorting money from companies and freezing the accounts of the main opposition party is not enough for the ‘demonic powers’, arrests are now Elected chief ministers have also become a common thing. India will give a befitting reply to this,” a rough translation of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s post said.
“This arrest will give birth to a new people’s revolution,” said Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
Those who themselves are imprisoned by fear of failure
What would “they” do by imprisoning others?The BJP knows it will not come to power again, and out of this fear it wants to remove opposition leaders from the public at election time by any means necessary, arrests being just a pretext.
This arrest signaled a new people’s revolution…
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) March 21, 2024
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief Stalin called it a “witch hunt” – the “relentless persecution of opposition leaders by the BJP government” – and warned the party to be prepared to face the wrath of the people.
before #Elections2024Fearing a decade of failure and imminent defeat, the fascist BJP government plunges into abyss of despicability by arresting Delhi chief minister @ArvindKejriwalfollowing the unjust attack by brother @HemantSorenJMM.
No BJP leader has faced…
— MKStalin (@mkstalin) March 21, 2024
Senior leader Sharad said: “Strongly condemn the misuse of central agencies for vindictive actions against the opposition, especially as the general elections are approaching. This arrest shows the extent to which the BJP has stooped for power. ‘India’ is united against targeting the opposition This unconstitutional action by Arvind Kejriwal,” Pawar posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Mr Kejriwal was arrested in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case after the Delhi High Court refused to grant him protection from arrest after he skipped summons for questioning for the ninth time. His team has appealed to the Supreme Court and is pushing for a midnight hearing.
He is the first sitting chief minister of the country to be arrested. His Aam Aadmi Party said he would continue to perform his duties in jail.
