LIVE | Delhi court sends Kejriwal to ED custody till March 28
Planned move to muzzle voices of opposition: NCP(SP)
The Nationalist Congress Party (SP) on Thursday said the arrest of Delhi DM Arvind Kejriwal is a systematic and planned move by the BJP to muzzle the voices of opposition leaders and keep them away from campaigning in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
NCP(SP) leader Clyde Crasto said leaders like Kejriwal have been targeted because they are highlighting the “misdeeds” of the BJP.
The highlighting of misdeeds during campaigning will affect the votes of the BJP and, therefore, the ruling party is making sure these leaders are not present during the campaigning, he claimed.
“The arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is a systematic planned move by the BJP to muzzle the voices of opposition leaders and keep them away from campaigning in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election,” Crasto said.
He said Kejriwal’s arrest is nothing but mockery of democracy by the BJP.
Undeclared Emergency: Tejashwi
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday slammed the ruling BJP at the Centre for the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal by the ED.
The former Bihar deputy CM charged the BJP-led NDA with “imposing an undeclared emergency” and “using probe agencies and constitutional bodies” to take on its rivals in elections, instead of taking on them politically.
“The arrest of Delhi CM Arvind clearly shows that the BJP does not want to face its opponents in the polls in a democratic manner. It wants to hide behind and lean heavily on investigating agencies and constitutional bodies,” the young leader wrote on X.
He added, “The NDA has torn to shreds the established norms of behaviour in a constitutional, democratic polity. The nation is in a state of undeclared emergency.”
The RJD leader, whose party is a constituent of INDIA bloc, like Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party, asserted, “We stand firmly with the popular government elected by the people of Delhi. As we all had declared at INDIA bloc's meetings in Patna and Mumbai, we are not the ones to be cowed down. We always fight back.”
ED has found no evidence, says top AAP leader
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) did not find any evidence at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence during their search, senior AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said.
All ED found was Rs 70,000 which they returned, said Bharadwaj, who was present at Kejriwal's Civil Line residence when ED arrested him.
The agency did not find any evidence, property documents, illegal money or a money trail during its raid, the Delhi minister said.
Bharadwaj claimed that the ED searched the chief minister's residence and took his mobile phone before arresting him.
AAP calls for nationwide protest
The AAP) has called for a nationwide protest outside BJP offices against Kejriwal’s arrest by ED, Delhi Minister Gopal Rai said.
Move to quell dissent: Kerala CM
Kerala Chief Minister Vijayan has denounced the arrest of Kejriwal, alleging that it was a deliberate move aimed at quelling dissenting voices, particularly as the electoral process gains momentum.
"Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest is highly objectionable. The move is part of a deliberate attempt to silence opposition voices at a time when the electoral process gains momentum. This demonstrates the cowardice of those who fear the democratic process," the Chief Minister said.
TMC condemns Kejriwal's arrest
"We vehemently condemn the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, an elected CM, especially when EC is in charge & MCC is in place. Earlier his administrative powers were snatched through an illegal ordinance. How can we expect fair elections in India if sitting CMs & prominent opposition leaders are arrested weeks before polls? If SC & ECI fail to act now, who will stand with people against BJP's oppressive politics in future?" wrote TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien on X (Twitter).
"The election process has begun. And now this! Chiefs of political parties, CMs, political leaders, election agents, workers, every opponent- being harassed & arrested like this What will be the fate of our precious democracy. LET US ALL SAVE DEMOCRACY FROM IMPENDING DISASTER," he said in another post.
'Mr Kejriwal, you are corrupt': BJP
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reaped what he sowed, the BJP said on Thursday. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra also slammed protests by AAP leaders and supporters following their leader's arrest, and said the drama amounts to a "celebration of corruption".
Neither people nor courts will accept this, Patra said, adding, "Mr Kejriwal, you are corrupt. People of Delhi and people of India know you are corrupt." Noting that Kejriwal was served many summonses by the Enforcement Directorate, the BJP leader said the arrest has followed a protracted course of action.
Reiterating the BJP's charges against the Delhi chief minister, Patra asked why the Kejriwal government gave the excise policy its nod without the approval of its Cabinet and then scrapped it overnight. "Cartelisation was allowed, liquor manufacturers were allowed in wholesale and black-listed firms were allowed in the business at a huge cost to the exchequer," the BJP spokesperson alleged.
He is reaping what he showed, Patra said. "It is but natural that if you have evaded the law of the land, ultimately the law will catch up with you," he said.
Rahul Gandhi hits out at PM Modi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote in Hindi on X (Twitter), "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."
Priyanka Gandhi says Kejriwal's arrest 'unconstitutional'
"Targeting Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in this manner during elections is completely wrong and unconstitutional. Lowering the level of politics in this manner suits neither the prime minister nor his government.
"Fight your critics in the electoral battle, confront them boldly and of course, attack their policies and working style -- this is democracy. But in this way, using the power of all the institutions of the country to fulfil one's political objective and weakening those by exerting pressure is against every principle of democracy," Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said in a post in Hindi on X.
Legal team going to SC Registrar's house: AAP
Our legal team is going to Supreme Court Registrar's house to seek urgent hearing, says AAP's Atishi on party moving SC against arrest of Kejriwal