Arvind Kejriwal: “Devilish Power…systematic effort to subvert Indian democracy:” Opposition parties attack BJP over Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest

Reactions started pouring in soon after the ED arrested Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal.

On social media, Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the Delhi Chief Minister’s arrest and called it ‘devilish power.’

“A fearful dictator wants to create a dead democracy. While capturing all institutions, including the media, breaking up parties, extorting money from companies, and freezing accounts of the main opposition party is not enough for the ‘devilish power’, now arresting the elected Prime Ministers has also become commonplace. INDIA will give a befitting response to this,” Gandhi posted on X.

Congress MP Deepender Hooda also slammed the BJP over Kejriwal’s arrest and said it was “sad but not surprising”.

“Misusing central agencies for targeting most of the country’s opposition leaders by the BJP is not a new ‘karyashaili’ of the BJP. Over the past few years, efforts have been made to suppress the loud opposition voices in the country. . There is no opposition party left which is not in the BJP’s crosshairs. I can see that. It is sad but not surprising,” Hooda told ANI. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also reacted and said it is clear that a systematic effort is to destroy India’s democracy during the general elections.” Shocked by the news of the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Strictly coming on the heels of the disastrous freeze on @INCIndia’s bank accounts, it is clear that a systematic effort is subverting India’s democracy during our general elections. If only there was a model code of conduct to stop the govt. in taking decisions that may favor the ruling party, why is a similar code not applicable to government departments like IT and ED, whose actions directly interfere with the functioning of democracy?” he posted.

AIADMK leader Kovai Sathyan said the BJP is working on a 3-point agenda to crush the Opposition before the Lok Sabha polls.

In a video message, Sathyan said, “The arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal proves that there is a 3 point agenda for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).”

“Agenda number 1, whoever opposes the BJP, the leader of that party must fight in jail, that is, from behind the bars. Agenda number 2, whoever opposes the BJP will run out of funds , they cannot use party funds. Agenda number 3, whoever is on bail, BJP will not hesitate to ally with them, like they did with Mr Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra Pradesh,” said the leader of AIADMK.

“This 3-point agenda is what the BJP believes will give them greater results in the coming elections,” Sathyan added.

Adding to the opposition’s ire over the Delhi Chief Minister’s arrest, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said the BJP was “scared of the opposition” and the only way to victory for the BJP was to silence or arrest opposition.

“With the political arrest of another sitting CM, Arvind Kejriwal, the BJP government, its Extended Department has made it clear that they are nowhere near winning 400 seats. They fear the opposition, they know the only way to win . is to silence or arrest the opposition. This is rightly called the killing of democracy in India, no, India as the mother of democracy,” Chaturvedi posted on X.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin also took to his social media handle X to react to the Delhi CM’s arrest and said that the “fascist BJP” government has sunk in the abomination which was deepened by the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal and the relentless prosecution of The opposition leaders of the BJP government declared a desperate witch-hunt.

“In the face of #Elections2024, haunted by a decade of failure and imminent defeat, the fascist BJP government has sunk to abominable depths by arresting Hon’ble Delhi CM @ArvindKejriwal, following unjust targeting of @HemantSorenJMM. Not a single BJP leader faces investigation or arrest, exposing their abuse of power and the decay of democracy,” Stalin posted on X.

“The BJP government’s relentless persecution of opposition leaders is a desperate witch hunt. This tyranny is igniting public anger, revealing the true colors of the BJP. But their no meaningful arrest only strengthens our resolve, cementing the #INDIA alliance’s march to victory,” read the DMK chief’s post.

NCP-SCP leader and MP Supriya Sule also reacted to the same and posted on X, “I stand in solidarity with Arvind Kejriwal. This is yet another politically motivated arrest by the ED at the behest of the government of the BJP to suppress the voice of the opposition and undermine the electorate as a whole. We are resilient and united in our fight for constitutional democracy.”

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal “highly objectionable” and said the action was part of an effort to silence opposition voices at this stage of the election process and showed the cowardice of those afraid of the democratic process. .”

Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla reacted to the arrest of the AAP leader and said that the arrest of the Delhi Chief Minister should worry every citizen of the country.

“The arrest of the honorable Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal should concern each and every one of us, every citizen of this great country. Dal. Following political instructions from BJP rather than following in the constitution. We already have one CM, Hemant Soren in jail and now another CM has been arrested,” he said.

“Just now the principal opposition party Congress said in a press conference that their account has been frozen, all this when the elections are around the corner….It is time for the ECI to step in and stop what is happening, and I request the Supreme Court to step in and stop this arbitrary behavior of law enforcement agencies like ED,” Poonawalla added.

Meanwhile, AAP leader and Delhi Minister Atishi said they have moved the Supreme Court for annulment of Kejriwal’s arrest and sought an immediate hearing.

Atishi had earlier said that Kejriwal will run the government from jail.

An Enforcement Directorate team arrived at Kejriwal’s residence on Thursday for questioning in connection with the liquor policy case. The team conducted a search operation at his residence, sources said.

The Enforcement Directorate team reached his residence for hours of questioning after the Delhi High Court denied Kejriwal interim protection from coercive action in connection with the excise policy case.

ED has issued repeated summons to the AAP supremo in the excise policy case and he has skipped them, pointing out that the investigating agency has moved the court against him.

According to the ED, the agency wants to record Kejriwal’s statement in the case on issues like the formulation of the now-scraped excise policy, meetings held before its finalization, and allegations of bribery.

Two senior AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are in judicial custody in the excise policy case. Sisodia, who was then Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, was arrested by the CBI on February 26 following several rounds of questioning. On October 5, ED arrested Sanjay Singh, who is a member of the Rajya Sabha.