The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday opposed interim bail for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in now scrapped Delhi Liquor Policy case. The move comes a day before the Supreme Court is set to hear Kejriwal's interim bail plea in the case.
On Thursday, ED in an affidavit filed before the apex court said the right to campaign for elections was "not fundamental".
Reports said the affidavit was filed by the probe agency’s Deputy Director Bhanu Priya on Thursday, a day before the SC is set to hear Kejriwal's interim bail plea in the case.
"The right to campaign for an election is not a fundamental, constitutional or legal right. To ED's knowledge, no political leader has been granted interim bail for campaigning even though he is not the contesting candidate," the affidavit read.
The central probe agency also contended that no politician could be arrested and kept in judicial custody if they are granted interim bail for poll campaigning.
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"Around 123 elections have taken place in the past three years and if interim bail is granted for election campaigning then no politician can be arrested and kept in judicial custody since elections take place all year round," the ED said.
"Any special concession in Kejriwal’s favour granting interim bail for campaigning in the general election would amount to anathema to the rule of law and equality," it added.
