‘Desperate witch-hunt’: Opposition leaders slam BJP after Kejriwal’s ED arrest

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor called upon the Supreme Court to take suo moto cognizance of Kejriwal’s arrest. “The court has every right to take imminent action against anything that has a material effect on the elections…,” Tharoor told newswire ANI. 

The Thiruvananthapuram MP said that the ED action is “fundamentally violative of the political rights of every Indian citizen”. “At 11 am, there will be a march to the Raj Bhawan…”  

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin also slammed that BJP-led central government saying that the “fascist BJP” government has sunk to despicable depths by arresting Arvind Kejriwal and that the relentless persecution of opposition leaders by the BJP government smacks of a desperate witch-hunt.

“Ahead of #Elections2024, driven by fear of a decade of failures and the imminent defeat, the fascist BJP government sinks to despicable depths by arresting Hon’ble Delhi CM @ArvindKejriwal, following the unjust targeting of @HemantSorenJMM. Not a single BJP leader faces scrutiny or arrest, laying bare their abuse of power and the decay of democracy,” Stalin posted on X.

BRS working president K T Rama Rao has also condemned the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal in an excise policy case, alleging that the arrest was “unlawful”.

“Strongly condemn the unlawful arrest of Delhi CM #ArvindKejriwal Ji. The ED and the CBI have become the chief instruments of repression in the hands of BJP. Political opponents are targeted on unsubstantiated grounds & political vendetta is their sole purpose,” Rama Rao posted on X. 

Meanwhile, AAP minister Saurabh Bhardwaj has expressed his gratitude to opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, MK Stalin, Akhilesh Yadav, and others who extended support for Kejriwal. 

Also Read | Live updates on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest 

“What is being done with Kejriwal is injustice. It is an attempt to finish a political party. Our legal experts are working on the next course of action. Our party office has been converted into a cantonment, the ITO metro station has been shut…Is there a Model Code of Conduct imposed? What is the Election Commission doing?” he said. 

In a post on X, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann also reacted to the arrest of Aam Aadmi Party’s national convenor. “You will arrest Arvind Kejriwal but how will you arrest his thinking… Arvind Kejriwal is not a person but an idea and we stand with our leader like a rock.”

BJP welcomes Kejriwal’s arrest

On the other hand, Delhi BJP Vice President Kapil Mishra said the politics of Manish Sisodia, Satyender Jain, and Arvind Kejriwal will end in Tihar jail as it is the time for justice. 

“The arrest was ensured… The connections of corruption lead to Arvind Kejriwal’s home… It is time for justice against the web of alcohol spread by them…,” Mishra told media persons. 

Another BJP leader Bansuri Swaraj said the ED has been asking Kejriwal to cooperate in the investigation, but he kept making excuses and went to a 10-day Vipassana workshop.  “Arvind Kejriwal himself has created this situation and all of this has nothing to do with the elections…,” she added. 

BJP National Secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa hit out at the AAP leaders for raising slogans against the saffron party after Kejriwal’s arrest, saying these people have lost all shame. 

“Experts of lying are questioning the BJP today. The people who made transactions worth crores are saying that the BJP is corrupt… I am surprised by the dedication of their (AAP) workers that they are raising slogans in support of such a corrupt man…,” he said. 

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Published: 22 Mar 2024, 10:35 AM IST