Delhi CM Kejriwal's arrest came at a time when his party was already struggling with Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, and Sanjay Singh's absence from the fray.
He was taken into custody by the ED on Thursday night after he neglected to show up for the ninth summons in the case of the Delhi excise policy scam.
The AAP is running in the elections in Delhi, Gujarat, and Haryana as a member of the Opposition, INDIA Bloc. The party's leading campaigner is Kejriwal.
The AAP leaders responded harshly to the high-profile development, calling the action against a sitting chief minister a part of "BJP's vindictive politics which is murdering democracy" and voicing their anger over the party supremo's detainment. Politicians from all around India have criticized his detention. Here's what some of the top politicians have said:
Modi fears Kejriwal, according to Atishi Singh
The whole scenario demonstrates PM Narendra Modi's fear of Kejriwal. He has devised a plan to get him imprisoned prior to the Lok Sabha election. The Delhi Education Minister declared, "We have moved the SC to quashing the arrest of Delhi CM."
देश में पहली बार एक sitting Chief Minister को गिरफ़्तार किया गया है। अरविंद केजरीवाल के पास Z+ security cover होता है। अब वो केंद्र सरकार की ED की कस्टडी में हैं। हमें उनके safety और security की चिंता है।— Atishi (@AtishiAAP) March 22, 2024
Bhagwant Mann: Kejriwal's worldview is too expansive for the BJP (ED).
The AAP chief publicly expressed his backing for his boss."Kejriwal's ideology cannot be restrained by the BJP (ED) political party since the AAP is the only force capable of stopping the BJP. Ideology is unstoppable," he wrote in Hindi on X.
अरविंद केजरीवाल को तो गिरफ्तार कर लोगे पर उनकी सोच को कैसे कैद करोगे...अरविंद केजरीवाल एक व्यक्ति नहीं एक सोच है और हम अपने नेता के साथ चट्टान की तरह खड़े हैं...
इंकलाब जिंदाबाद— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) March 22, 2024
Completely wrong and unconstitutional: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
The AICC general secretary stated that targeting Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for elections is utterly wrong and unlawful. Lowering the level of politics in this manner benefits neither the Prime Minister nor his government.
चुनाव के चलते दिल्ली के मुख्यमंत्री श्री अरविंद केजरीवाल को इस तरह टार्गेट करना एकदम गलत और असंवैधानिक है। राजनीति का स्तर इस तरह से गिराना न प्रधानमंत्री जी को शोभा देता है, न उनकी सरकार को।अपने आलोचकों से चुनावी रणभूमि में उतरकर लड़िये, उनका डटकर मुक़ाबला करिए, उनकी नीतियों…
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) March 21, 2024
It is exposing the real colors of the BJP: Stalin MK
The chief minister of Tamil Nadu and president of the Democratic Movement of Kerala (DMK) denounced Arvind Kejriwal's detention on Thursday, stating that this "tyranny ignites public fury, unmasking BJP's true colours" and cautioning the saffron party to prepare for the people's wrath.
Stalin accused the BJP of plunging to "despicable depths" in a statement posted on platform X, citing the ruling party's dread of a "decade of failures and imminent defeat" as the reason for the arrests of Kejriwal and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
Ahead of #Elections2024, driven by fear of a decade of failures and the imminent defeat, the Fascist BJP Govt sinks to despicable depths by arresting Hon'ble Delhi CM @ArvindKejriwal, following the unjust targeting of brother @HemantSorenJMM.Not a single BJP leader faces…
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) March 21, 2024
Kerala CM Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan says, 'extremely condemnable'
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called the Enforcement Directorate's arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the Delhi excise policy case "extremely condemnable" on Thursday night.
"This comes at a time when the process of holding general elections has begun. "Jailing all those who speak out is not acceptable," Vijayan remarked.
"The cowardice of those who are scared of democratic norms have now come out through this act, which is extremely condemnable and warrants protests," he went on to say.
The arrest of Delhi Chief Minister @ArvindKejriwal is outright vicious and part of a callous plot to silence all opposition voices just ahead of the general elections. This exposes the cowardice of those who fear democratic process and calls for collective action to resist abuse…— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) March 21, 2024
BJP's Manoj Tiwari says, Delhiites celebrating Kejriwal's arrest
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari stated, 'Every person living in Delhi is celebrating today. (Delhi CM) Arvind Kejriwal has made the life of the people difficult. He has proved himself the culprit. When he approached the High Court, the honourable Justice also asked why is he still out (of jail)?'
VIDEO | Here’s what BJP MP Manoj Tiwari (@ManojTiwariMP) said on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by ED.“Every person living in Delhi is celebrating today. (Delhi CM) Arvind Kejriwal has made the life of the people difficult. He has proved himself the culprit. When he… pic.twitter.com/2C3Z7GbUty
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 22, 2024
"There have been 9 summons since October 23. Arvind Kejriwal did not remain present in any of them. He has a sense of entitlement and he keeps saying that the summon is illegal and he will not remain present. He keeps saying that he is the CM and how can he be summoned. Today, his pride has been broken. The law of this country says that if you have broken a law and you are summoned, then you have to respect the summon and remain present."
Sashi Tharoor urges Supreme Court intervention over Arvind Kejriwal's arrest
"Shocked by the news of the arrest of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal," Sashi Tharoor emphasizes the need for Supreme Court intervention, citing a systematic effort to subvert Indian democracy. Tharoor questions the timing of IT and ED actions, urging for a fair playing field during elections.
Shocked by the news of the arrest of Delhi chief minister @ArvindKejriwal. Coming hard on the heels of the crippling freeze on @INCIndia’s bank accounts, it is clear that a systematic effort is on to subvert Indian democracy during our general elections.If a model code of…
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) March 21, 2024
I vehemently condemn the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, the sitting elected Chief Minister of Delhi elected by the people. I have personally reached out to Smt Sunita Kejriwal to extend my unwavering support and solidarity. It's outrageous that while elected opposition CMs are being…— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) March 22, 2024
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
Find the best of Al News in one place, specially curated for you every weekend.
Stay on top of the latest tech trends and biggest startup news.
