Arvind Kejriwal arrest news: AAP announces nationwide protest today. 10-point

‘CM is arrested’: AAP after ED arrests Arvind Kejriwal in money laundering case

The AAP chief was arrested more than two hours after the ED team arrived at his residence. Kejriwal was brought to the office of the ED in central Delhi around 11.25 pm in an SUV. The chief minister was seen sitting in the rear seat of the vehicle wearing a white half-shirt. He was escorted by three ED officers.

Kejriwal arrested: Delhi CM 4th high profile to be held in excise policy case

Here are 10 updates on this big political story:

1. The AAP has decided to fight out against the arrest of its national convenor Arvind Kejriwal from the streets to the court on Friday. Besides, the AAP leaders have also decided to demonstrate outside the BJP headquarters today.

2. The AAP leaders will start the protest at 10 am at the BJP headquarters which will eventually spread across the country.

3. Arvind Kejriwal has approached the Supreme Court against his arrest by the ED at his residence. The Delhi CM has filed a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution challenging the arrest by the ED.

Arvind Kejriwal arrested by ED in excise policy case after raids at residence

4. On Thursday, Arvind Kejriwal was denied interim protection by the Delhi High Court from coercive action by the ED. Following the court’s decision, a 12-member team of ED conducted searches at Kejrwial’s residence in the evening and served summons on him.

5. According to media reports, no special bench was set up on Thursday night to hear Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate. The AAP has filed an application in the Supreme Court against the illegal arrest of Kejriwal. the matter will be heard in the Supreme Court on Friday morning.

‘Scared dictator wants to create’: Rahul Gandhi reacts after ED arrests Kejriwal

6. Meanwhile, senior AAP leader Atishi and other politicians and Kejriwal supporters have questioned the timings of the arrest, saying that for two years, neither the CBI nor the ED has found a single penny in two years of investigation. However, just a month before the Lok Sabha election, ED has arrested Delhi CM. Describing the arrest of Kejriwal as an assault on democracy, Atishi said that the BJP is aware that Kejriwal is the most popular leader who has the potential to challenge PM Modi in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.

Can Arvind Kejriwal run his office from prison?

7. Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal launched a scathing attack on the ruling BJP following the arrest of Kejriwal. Sibal on the X platform wrote, “The Mother of Democracy has demonstrated that the ED is its most obedient son.”

8. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti accused the BJP of attempting to win elections through undemocratic means. She accused the BJP of “murdering democracy”, and added, ” They have arrested two opposition chief ministers (One chief minister Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren was put in jail and now another Kejriwal) and frozen a party’s bank account. Is this how the BJP wants to win the election? I want to tell the BJP that if you want to fight, then come forward and fight in the political arena, in the election field. Stop doing politics hiding behind the ED, stop using the ED as your weapon”.

9. Meanwhile, the AAP said Kejriwal will continue as the chief minister of Delhi and that if need be, he will run the government from jail.

10. Kejriwal’s arrest is the 16th one by the ED in the liquor policy case. AAP’s Manish Sisodia and Satyender Jain are already behind bars for around 10 months. Kejriwal had skipped nine summonses issued by the agency for questioning, the latest being for Thursday, March 21. He has called these summonses “illegal”.

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Published: 22 Mar 2024, 06:53 AM IST