Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest: SC to hear case today; I.N.D.I.A alliance slams BJP

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal moved the Supreme Court following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday night in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.

The Delhi CM was arrested following questioning by the ED officials at his residence in Delhi in the liquor policy case. The ED officials later took him to the agency headquarters as he failed to secure interim relief from the Delhi High Court earlier in the day.

"Today I want to ask the ED, the agency that has become only a tool of the BJP, could you tell after your 100s of raids, what did you find even after your scores of summons," Atishi Marlena, education minister of Delhi, said in a press briefing. She questioned the timing of the arrest of Delhi CM, saying the BJP knows Kejriwal is the most popular leader and has the potential to challenge PM Modi in the approaching Lok Sabha polls, which is why it's attempting to "murder democracy".

She said despite no evidence against Kejriwal during a two-year probe by the CBI and the ED, he was arrested right after the elections were announced. Marlena said for the first time in the country, a sitting chief minister has been arrested. "Arvind Kejriwal has Z+ security cover. Now he is in the custody of the ED of the Central government. We are concerned about their safety and security."

Soon after Kejriwal's arrest, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) moved the SC to quash the arrest of the Delhi CM and asked for an urgent hearing on Thursday night itself. Though no special hearing took place during the night, the SC is slated to hear the case today. The AAP is also planning to conduct protests outside BJP offices across the country.

The I.N.D.I.A alliance, meanwhile, has come out with a strong reaction against the Delhi CM's arrest and slammed the BJP. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi said targeting the Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in this manner due to elections is "completely wrong and unconstitutional".

"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," said Priyanka Gandhi.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said BJP knows that "it will not come to power again, and due to this fear, it wants to remove the opposition leaders from the public by any means". He said that at the time of the elections, the arrest of the Delhi CM was just an excuse.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, "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."

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechuri condemned the arrest of Delhi CM, saying it’s the second sitting CM of the INDIA bloc to be arrested. "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 the Indian Constitution," he said.

NCP leader Sharad Yadav also condemned 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 Arvind Kejriwal."

DMK leader and Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin said ahead of Elections 2024, driven by fear of a decade of failures and the imminent defeat, the "Fascist BJP Govt" has sunk to despicable depths by arresting Delhi CM, following the unjust targeting of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren.

"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 the BJP's true colours. But their futile arrests only fuel our resolve, fortifying the INDIA alliance's march to victory. BJP, brace for the people's wrath!"

Notably, apart from Kejriwal, some of the top leaders of AAP, including Manish Sisodia, and Satyendra Jain, are already in jail in connection with the case.