Arvind Kejriwal Arrest Highlights | AAP leader moves Delhi High Court over excise policy case

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal moves Delhi High Court challenging his arrest and remand in the Excise policy case, as per reports.

A delegation of the Punjab BJP on Saturday met the state Chief Electoral Officer and pressed for an ED probe into the state excise policy, alleging “black money received by AAP through kickbacks” could be used during the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP’s fresh attack on the issue came after the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a Delhi excise policylinked moneylaundering case on Thursday.

On CM Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal’s press conference, BJP leader Bansuri Swaraj says, “I can fathom her feelings, expressed by her today publicly. I would say that the only person responsible for that is Arvind Kejriwal…He has to be answerable for all women who have cried because of this liquor policy…”

The Aam Aadmi Party office in Delhi has been “sealed” from all sides, its senior leader Atishi claimed on Saturday and said the party will report the matter to the Election Commission.

A Delhi Police officer refuted the charge that the AAP office was sealed. Police personnel were deployed at DDU Marg to stop the gathering of people since CrPC section 144 is imposed there, the officer said.

In a post on X, Atishi questioned the “sealing” of the party office, saying it goes against the concept of having a “level playing field” in elections as promised by the Constitution.

On Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal sent to 6 days of ED custody in excise policy case, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha says, “Everything is coming out. ED will do its work. Sometimes I think, they do politics for this…Arvind Kejriwal’s guru (Anna Hazare) is also saying that ‘you will get results according to your work’….”

Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam on Saturday said Arvind Kejriwal must step down as Delhi chief minister on moral grounds following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in an excise policy-linked money laundering case.

The Aam Aadmi Party national convener was arrested in Delhi on Thursday night but has been defiant about staying on as Delhi CM. (PTI)

The BJP on Saturday slammed Arvind Kejriwal’s continuation as the chief minister of Delhi despite being under arrest, saying it is the most unfortunate moment in the country’s political journey and worst kind of politics. With the AAP leaders strongly defending their leader, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said mockingly that they are competing to replace him as the chief minister but his wife has also joined the race now, a reference to Sunita Kejriwal reading out his message which was broadcast across the country on news channels. (PTI)

After meeting with Delhi CM and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal’s family, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) D. Raja says, “We came in a delegation to meet Arvind Kejriwal’s family members, to express our support and solidarity with them. I was in Patna and I condemned the arrest from there. Our position is very clear, we condemn this arrest as it is nothing but a political vendetta… They (BJP) think that by doing this they can make the opposition parties inactive during the election period. BJP and RSS getting jittery and desperate. The democratic movement stands behind Arvind Kejriwal and he will come out successfully….”

Sunita Kejriwal, the wife of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, emerged on Saturday, March 23, to relay a powerful message from her incarcerated husband. Arvind Kejriwal, currently in custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), expressed unwavering determination through his spouse, asserting, “No prison can keep me inside, will come out and fulfill my promise.”

In a video statement, Sunita Kejriwal addressed the public, sharing her husband’s words from behind bars. Kejriwal’s message highlighted the broader challenges facing the nation. “There are several forces within and outside India that are weakening the country. We have to be alert, identify these forces and defeat them,” emphasised the detained CM.

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On Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal being sent to 6 days ED custody, BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla says, “From ‘Swaraj’ to ‘Sharaab’, from ‘Anna Hazare’ to ‘Lalu Prasad Yadav’, today what we are seeing is actually the ‘satta ka nasha’… This is the first instance where the government will operate from the jail. Is this constitutionally, legally and morally possible?… This shows the transformation that has taken place that Anna Hazare has tears in his eyes and Arvind Kejriwal is in the company of Lalu Prasad Yadav…”

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita, in her first address following his arrest, on Saturday read out a message in which the Delhi chief minister asserted that every moment of his life has been dedicated to serving the country. In a message from the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) custody, the Delhi chief minister said no bar can keep him inside and he will soon return. He also assured that it has never happened that he failed to fulfil any promise, assuring women about the implementation of a scheme that will provide an honorarium of Rs 1,000 per month to eligible beneficiaries. (PTI)

She says the ECI should intervene and protect the country’s democracy

Atishi on a post on X says the AAP office has been sealed from all sides. She questions how can access to a national office be stopped during the Lok Sabha elections? “This against the ‘level playing field’ promised in the Indian Constitution. We are seeking time with the Election Commission to complain against this,” she writes.

Kejriwal in his message said that even while he is under arrest, he is thinking of the country. He says no jail can keep him behind bars for long and he will be back soon.

AAP leaders Aitishi, Gopal Rai and Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann paid floral tributes to Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru at Shaheed Park on Shaheed Diwas

During the AAP press conference, Atishi said CBI and ED have been probing the case for the last two years, and the question that comes up over and over again is “Where is the money trail? Where did the money go?”

She said no proceeds of crime were recovered from any AAP leader or worker. Kejriwal has been arrested in the same case two days ago on the basis of Aurobindo Pharma’s Sharat Chandra Reddy. He was summoned in November 2022 for questioning and said he never met or spoke with Kejriwal, she said, adding that he was arrested the next day.

After being in jail for a while, he changed his statment and said he met Kejriwal and spoke to him about the excise policy, and was granted bail soon after, Atishi said, adding, “But where is the money trail?”