Arvind Kejriwal arrested Highlights: The Enforcement Directorate’s action comes hours after the Delhi High Court refused to grant protection from arrest to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor policy case
A 12-member team of the Enforcement Directorate reached Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence with a search warrant in the excise policy case. The Delhi Chief Minister has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate. Mr Kejriwal has become the first sitting chief minister to be arrested in the history of Independent India and his party has said he will continue to hold the post.
The Enforcement Directorate’s action comes hours after the Delhi High Court refused to grant protection from arrest to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor policy case. The Delhi Chief Minister had challenged the ED summons to him for questioning over alleged money.
He repeatedly refused to appear before the ED, calling the summons by the central agency illegal.
“Stop Doing Politics By Making ED A Weapon”: Delhi Minister Atishi
“Neither CBI nor ED found a single penny in the two-year investigation, but as soon as the elections were announced, Arvind Kejriwal was arrested,” Delhi Minister Atishi said.
“Two Chief Ministers were arrested, a party’s account was seized. Stop doing politics by making ED a weapon, our fight will go on from the streets to the court,” she added. “We have filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the arrest. There is a hearing in the Supreme Court tomorrow morning,” Atishi said.
Here are the Highlights of Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest:
Mar 22, 2024 00:27 (IST)
“If Anyone Dares To Speak Against BJP, They’ll Be Arrested”: Delhi Minister Gopal Rai
“After a long sacrifice, this country got a constitution and it gave the right to elect public representatives. But today the entire country is shocked that despite the case being pending in the court, Modi ji has arrested the CM elected with a huge majority,” Delhi Minister Gopal Rai said.
“Today it has been announced that if anyone dares to speak against BJP and its government, he will be arrested. Today BJP has insulted crores of people. This is the arrest of two crore people of Delhi, those who love the democracy of the country have been arrested,” he added.
“If BJP thinks that by arresting Arvind Kejriwal they will destroy AAP and scare the opposition, then they are wrong. Everyone will fight this battle together. We have decided that we will protest against this arrest at the BJP headquarters tomorrow at 10 am,” the minister announced.
Arvind Kejriwal Taken Out Of His Home By Enforcement Directorate Officials After Arrest
Arvind Kejriwal has been taken out of his home by the Enforcement Directorate officials after the arrest. The probe agency will take the Chief Minister to its headquarters. The Delhi Police have put up a heavy deployment anticipating a large gathering of AAP workers. The police have started detaining party workers and the police have stepped up security outside the probe agency’s headquarters too.
Arvind Kejriwal is the first serving chief minister since independence to be arrested. Unprecedented political scenes unfolded hours after the High Court denied interim relief to Arvind Kejriwal after he skipped summons by the probe agency several times in the liquor policy case. The AAP had anticipated the Chief Minister’s arrest and the Delhi Minister said, “Arvind Kejriwal will not resign and will run the government from jail.”
The Congress, Trinamool Congress, Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction and DMK have condemned the action and called it “undemocratic” and “shameful”.
Source: NDTV