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Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrests Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal in Excise policy case. Here are reactions to this update.
New Delhi: An Enforcement Directorate team arrived at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s home to question him hours after the Delhi High Court denied him interim protection from coercive action related to the excise policy case. Kejriwal was denied temporary protection from coercive action by the Delhi High Court on Thursday, stating that the court is not inclined to award temporary relief at this time. In relation to the excise policy matter, Kejriwal was pleading with the court to be shielded from coercive action against him.
Reactions On ED Search and Questioning
AAP Leader Saurabh Bharadwaj
“The way police are inside the house of the CM and no one is allowed to enter, it seems, the CM house has been raided. It seems, there is preparation to arrest the CM,” says Delhi minister and AAP senior leader. He said that with its initial impression, the way police reinforcements are present in the Delhi CM’s residence, it looks like it has been raided, and it seems as if complete preparations to arrest the Delhi CM have been made.
Recently, AAP spokesperson Bharadwaj also spoke This time everyone knows that just a few hours ago, the matter was in the Delhi High Court. The High Court has given time to ED till 22 April, told to file a reply on why the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is crucial? In a way, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is now inside Arvind Kejriwal’s residence; there is a heavy deployment of police outside his house. Now, communication is not possible with him (Arvind Kejriwal), nor with his secretary, which seems that the agency has taken his phones…They (ED) might arrest him (Arvind Kejriwal)….BJP’s atrocities are now exposed in front of this country…
AAP Spokesperson Atishi
Delhi minister and AAP leader Atishi says, “It is clear that the ED and their masters, the BJP, do not respect the courts. Had this been the case, they would not have come to raid the residence of Arvind Kejriwal today itself… This is a political conspiracy and they are here to arrest Arvind Kejriwal…”
She continues saying, “Arvind Kejriwal is not a person, he is an idea… We cannot go inside because heavy security is deployed. We will wait here. If a popular CM is arrested this way, his supporters from all over Delhi will come here… The HC issued a notice today to the ED as to why are the summons not being quashed, and why interim relief shall not be provided to Arvind Kejriwal. Without waiting for the decision of the court, ED has arrived to arrest Arvind Kejriwal… If this is a search operation, why have they brought four buses full of police personnel? What was the need to bring two buses full of RAF personnel? What was the need to barricade the whole area?… This is a conspiracy to arrest Arvind Kejriwal…”
AAP Workers Protest
Meanwhile, AAP workers have staged a protest as a sign of solidarity, outside the residence of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, chanting “Arvind Ji sangharsh karo, hum tumhare saath hai” or “Arvind Kejriwal zindabad.”
Delhi Legislative Assembly speaker Ram Niwas Goel
“It’s known by all that Manish Sisodia had been arrested but nothing has been found. 600 more people have been arrested by now. They want to suppress the voice of Arvind Kejriwal before the election, and hence they want to arrest him,” stated Delhi Legislative Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel. He goes on to add saying, “Even if Arvind Kejriwal is arrested, he will not resign,” says Delhi Legislative Assembly speaker Ram Niwas Goel.
Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi
“The matter is going on in the court, 22 April has been decided as the next date. What was the hurry to raid, to arrest, to search?… The way police have been deployed here is condemnable… We have no contact with Arvind Kejriwal. Further intentions will soon become clear,” said Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi.
AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha
“We are waiting for the next step of the BJP govt and what ED does today. People have given the mandate to Arvind Kejriwal to run the govt and he will continue to do so. Even if Arvind Kejriwal will be jailed, ‘Sarkar Jail Se Chalegi’,” said Aam Aadmi Party MLA Sanjeev Jha.
AAP Leader Atishi Confirms Kejriwal Arrest
“We have received news that ED has arrested Arvind Kejriwal… We have always said that Arvind Kejriwal will run the govt from jail. He will remain the CM of Delhi. We have filed a case in the Supreme Court. Our lawyers are reaching SC. We will demand SC have an urgent hearing tonight,” AAP leader Atishi told the media.
Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji
“Wherever there is non-BJP govt, these things are happening in those states only. Elections are going to be held, model code of conduct is in place but the way things are going on, firstly in Jharkhand and then in Delhi, this isn’t democracy but a preparation for autocracy,” says Rajya Sabha MP & JMM leader Mahua Maji
Arrest Before Elections Wrong- Priyanka Vadra
चुनाव के चलते दिल्ली के मुख्यमंत्री श्री अरविंद केजरीवाल को इस तरह टार्गेट करना एकदम गलत और असंवैधानिक है। राजनीति का स्तर इस तरह से गिराना न प्रधानमंत्री जी को शोभा देता है, न उनकी सरकार को।
अपने आलोचकों से चुनावी रणभूमि में उतरकर लड़िये, उनका डटकर मुक़ाबला करिए, उनकी नीतियों… — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) March 21, 2024
“Targeting Delhi Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal in this manner before elections is absolutely 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 fulfill one’s political objective and weakening them by exerting pressure is against every principle of democracy.
The bank accounts of the country’s largest opposition party Congress have been frozen, all the political parties and their leaders are under pressure day and night from ED, CBI, IT, one Chief Minister has been put in jail, now the other Chief Minister is also in jail. Preparations are being made to take it. Such a shameful scene is being seen for the first time in the independent history of India,” tweeted General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee, Priyanka Vadra.
AIADMK Spokesperson Kovai Sathyan
“This arrest proves that there is a three-point agenda for the BJP. First, whoever opposes the BJP, should contest from behind bars. Second, whoever is opposing BJP, will run out of funds and will be unable to use party funds. Third, whoever is out on bail, BJP will not have any hesitation to have an alliance with them,” said AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathyan.
#WATCH | Delhi CM and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Excise policy case.
Kovai Sathyan, AIADMK Spokesperson says, “This arrest proves that there is a three-point agenda for the BJP. First, whoever opposes the BJP, should… pic.twitter.com/Ap63CRISlm — ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2024
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva
“Today finally the truth has won and I believe that the conspiracy hatched by Arvind Kejriwal and his government to push the entire youth into alcoholism was bound to result in this. Truth had to prevail and Arvind Kejriwal had to be punished for his sins,” said Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva.
#WATCH | Delhi CM and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Excise policy case
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva says, “Arvind Kejriwal was continuously making excuses in the liquor policy scam since 2020-21 and the kind of… pic.twitter.com/Jt3AQyyJzX — ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2024
