The Enforcement Directorate officials arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's from his residence on Thursday evening after they questioned him and conducted searches hours after High Court denied protection for 'coercive action'.
Delhi Minister Atishi claimed that Kejriwal will continue to be Delhi CM and "If need be, he will run the government from jail."
AAP leaders react to ED action
AAP leader Raghav Chadha called the ED action a 'big conspiracy' for its timing being weeks ahead of Lok Sabha polls.
Atitishi also reached Kejriwal's residence and she claimed that this action shows that "the ED is not an independent investigative agency. It is a political weapon of the BJP."
After Kejriwal's arrest, Atishi said, "Kejriwal's arrest is a political conspiracy by the BJP and PM Modi." She also mentioned to the reporters that the saffron party is scared of Kejriwal and therefore such consequences.
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj also reached Kejriwal's house as the security has been upped.
Delhi MCD Mayor Shelly Oberoi was seen outside Kejriwal's house along with supporters chanting 'Hum Tumhare Saath Hain'.
Oberoi told PTI, "The manner in which the ED is searching the CM house indicates that he (Arvind Kejriwal) may be arrested today. I want to say that the love and blessings of the public of Delhi are with Arvind Kejriwal. The AAP is not going to stop. This ED action is a conspiracy of the BJP."
Gujarat AAP chief Isudan Gadhvi told PTI, "When the High Court has given time till April 22, then why such hurry to arrest Arvind Kejriwal? This is a conspiracy to arrest him. You can arrest Arvind Kejriwal, but you cannot arrest his thoughts."
AAP chief spokesperson Malwinder Singh Kang in a video condemned arrest of Kejriwal.
In a series of posts on X, the party said, "ED reached the house of Delhi's son @ArvindKejriwal! BJP should know that it is trying to move the mountain in whose support the entire country stands today. The people of Delhi are watching everything. No one will sit silent today."
Using the hashtag #IstandWithKejriwal, it said, "The BJP can stoop down to any level to make Arvind Kejriwal bow down. The people of the country including entire Delhi are standing with their hero Arvind Kejriwal today. This dictatorship of yours will not last. And a Kejriwal will emerge from every house."
Kejriwal is also facing an ED case in connection with alleged irregularities in the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).
How did other Opposition leaders react?
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin slammed the arrest of his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal by the ED, calling it a part of a "relentless persecution" of the opposition.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, "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 following the unjust targeting of brother @HemantSorenJMM," he said in a post on 'X'.
"Not a single BJP leader faces scrutiny or arrest, laying bare their abuse of power and the decay of democracy. The relentless persecution of opposition leaders by the BJP Govt smacks of a desperate witch-hunt."
"This tyranny ignites public fury, unmasking BJP's true colours. But their futile arrests only fuel our resolve, fortifying the #INDIA alliance's march to victory. BJP, brace for the people's wrath!" he added.
Left Parties
Kerala Chief Minister Vijayan condemning the arrest issued a statement saying, "Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest is highly objectionable. The move is part of a deliberate attempt to silence opposition voices at a time when the electoral process gains momentum. This demonstrates the cowardice of those who fear the democratic process."
CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury in a post on X wrote, "Strongly condemn the arrest of Delhi CM, Shri Arvind Kejriwal by the ED. It’s the second sitting CM of the INDIA bloc to be arrested. Clearly, Modi and the BJP are in panic over people’s rejection in the ongoing elections. All opposition leaders who defected and joined the BJP are protected and patronised. They are the ‘Satya Harishchandras’! These arrests will only cement people’s desire to defeat BJP, defend democracy and Indian Constitution."
Congress
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, "A scared dictator wants to create a dead democracy." to describe Kejriwal's arrest, he further elaborated saying, "While capturing all the institutions including the media, breaking up the parties, extorting money from companies, freezing the account of the main opposition party was not enough for the 'devilish power', now the arrest of the elected Chief Ministers has also become a common thing."
Reacting to the arrest, Congress leader Surendra Rajput told PTI, "First, they arrested Jharkhand’s CM (Hemant Soren) and now they have arrested Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. Is this how democracy works? Does the BJP government want to win elections using ED and CBI? We condemn this arrest."
Karnataka Minister Eshwar Khandre told PTI, "The BJP has been doing hate politics since the beginning. They are using ED, CBI, the Election Commission and all other constitutional institutions as per their whims and fancies. The people of the country have come to know the kind of governance BJP is giving.”
Samajwadi Party
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in a post on X wrote two lines of poetry in Hindi and also added, "BJP knows that it will not come to power again, due to this fear, it wants to remove the opposition leaders from the public by any means at the time of elections, arrest is just an excuse."
Samajwadi Party National Spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chaand condemning ED action against Kejriwal said, "The ED landing at Arvind Kejriwal’s house is not a good indication for the country’s democracy and Constitution. The Samajwadi Party condemns the anti-democratic and anti-constitutional actions of the BJP. We stand firmly with Kejriwal."
Another SP leader Abbas Haider said, "I believe the BJP has accepted their defeat before the elections, because the manner in which the BJP is targeting opposition leaders has never happened in the history of democracy. Some are being threatened by freezing bank accounts, investigative agencies like IT, CBI and ED.”
Shiv Sena (UBT)
Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey said, "The (central) government sitting in Delhi has become arrogant and is not letting opposition leaders live. First Hemant Soren, and now Arvind Kejriwal has been arrested. Such misuse of ED and CBI has never been done by any government."
Rashtriya Janata Dal
Tejashwi Yadav in a post on X wrote, "The arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal clearly shows that instead of fighting the opposition democratically, BJP wants to fight the elections under the cover and strong help of investigative agencies and other constitutional institutions." He expressed his opinion in Hindi on X where he also added, "We all stand firmly with the extremely popular government of the people of Delhi. As we all had openly declared from Patna and Mumbai – we are not people who are afraid but people who fight and win."
Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar
NCP founder Sharad Pawar in a post on X wrote, "Strongly condemn the vindictive misuse of central agencies to target the opposition, especially as general elections loom. This arrest showcases the depth to which BJP will stoop for power. ‘INDIA’ stands united against this unconstitutional action against #ArvindKejriwal."
Supriya Sule also mentioned, "I stand in solidarity with @ArvindKejriwal ji. This is yet another politically motivated arrest by the ED at the behest of the BJP Government to suppress the voice of the opposition & undermine the electorate at large. We are resilient and united in our fight for constitutional democracy," in a post on X.
How has BJP reacted?
BJP National Spokesperson RP Singh explaining the reason behind ED showing up at Kejriwal's residence, said, "The ED has sent him summons nine times but he (Arvind Kejriwal) made excuses each time. We hope that today he answers the questions raised after K Kavitha’s revelations in the Delhi liquor scam."
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Kejriwal's arrest said, "Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal suffered the same fate that a corrupt person faces. No matter how many tricks a corrupt person does, he always comes under the clutches of the law. After the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, the people of Delhi will finally get justice. People are celebrating his arrest. The person who became a crusader of corruption, has now been arrested in a corruption case,."
BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla said, "No matter how many victim cards Arvind Kejriwal plays, he has to give answers now. When it comes to him (Arvind Kejriwal) being investigated, he is saying that he will run the government from jail."
BJP leader Kapil Mishra expressed relief in Kejriwal's arrest as he said, "Finally the people of Delhi will get rid of a corrupt Chief Minister." Further added, "I had said this six years ago that Arvind Kejriwal would end up in Tihar jail due to his corruption. Today finally he has been arrested by ED; this is commendable and finally, the people of Delhi will get justice."
