New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on Friday by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case related to the now-defunct Delhi excise policy, marking him as the second Chief Minister to be detained by the central agency within 50 days, following Hemant Soren.
Hours after the Delhi High Court declined to entertain Kejriwal's plea against any coercive action by the agency in this case, the ED moved quickly. AAP responded defiantly, asserting that Kejriwal “is the Delhi Chief Minister and will remain so.”
The arrest of Kejriwal led to widespread criticism from Opposition leaders. Rahul Gandhi, a senior Congress figure, criticized the move as the act of a “scared dictator” aiming to destroy democracy, while M K Stalin, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, condemned the BJP government for “sinking to despicable depths” with the “unfair targeting of brother” Hemant Soren.
In the evening, ED agents arrived at Kejriwal’s official residence, where they conducted searches and interrogated the Chief Minister before officially arresting him around 8:30 pm.
A significant number of AAP leaders and supporters convened at Kejriwal's residence, vocally supporting the Chief Minister, who initially gained fame as an anti-corruption advocate.
AAP has accused the ED of being a puppet of the Narendra Modi administration, which, according to them, aims to hinder Kejriwal's campaigning for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Kejriwal's arrest is notable as the first instance of a sitting Chief Minister being arrested in India. It's worth noting that Soren was arrested after he had tendered his resignation.
Kejriwal had declined to comply with the ED's summonses at least nine times, contesting their legality, while the agency sought legal recourse against him for disregarding the summonses.
Several of Kejriwal’s former cabinet members, including Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and Satyendar Jain, are currently detained on charges of money laundering. Sisodia and Singh were apprehended in connection with the excise policy case, with BRS leader K Kavita also arrested last week.
Delhi Minister Atishi remarked that Kejriwal would remain Chief Minister and could manage the city's governance from prison if necessary. "He will continue as the chief minister of Delhi. If need be, he will run the government from jail. There is no law preventing him from governing from jail," Atishi stated.
Rahul Gandhi commented on the broader implications, stating, “Capturing all institutions, including the media, disbanding parties, extorting money from companies, and freezing the accounts of the main opposition party, were not sufficient for the 'devilish power'. Now, arresting elected Chief Ministers has also become common. I.N.D.I.A. will respond fittingly.”
Stalin echoed these sentiments, stating, “Ahead of the 2024 (Lok Sabha) elections, driven by the fear of a decade of failures and the impending defeat, the fascist BJP government has stooped to new lows by arresting Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, following the unjust targeting of brother Hemant Soren,” highlighting the “continuous persecution of Opposition leaders as a desperate witch-hunt.”
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