An "undeclared Emergency-like situation" has emerged in the country with the BJP trying to finish opposition parties, AAP national general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak said on Friday, a day after party chief Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate.
Addressing a press conference, Pathak said Kejriwal's arrest was "fraudulent" and added, "We have complete faith in the judiciary. There could be delay but ultimately justice will be delivered and truth will prevail."
In another press conference, AAP Chief Whip in the Delhi Assembly Dilip Pandey said that the arrest of Kejriwal will prove to be the biggest political mistake of the BJP and the people of Delhi and the country will suitably reply to it in the Lok Sabha polls.
Pathak also lashed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, saying they were scared of Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
"An undeclared Emergency-like situation has emerged in the country. The BJP and PM Narendra Modi are finishing opposition parties by sending their leaders to jail or making them join the BJP with the use of threat. Those joining the BJP are being given clean chit while those opposing their dictatorship are being arrested," Pathak charged.
He claimed that several AAP leaders, including minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, MLAs and municipal councillors, were detained during a protest against the arrest of Kejriwal.
"What happened in Delhi was unimaginable. All our leaders were put under house arrest by the police since yesterday night. Those who were headed to AAP office were detained," he said.
Pathak said that the BJP should realise that Kejriwal is not an ordinary leader who will sit back after his arrest and added he will come out with redoubled strength.
Kejriwal was arrested the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday night in an excise policy-linked money laundering case.
Dilip Pandey claimed the BJP has showed its "political arrogance" by getting the most popular chief minister of the country arrested. This development confirms the suspicion that the BJP is staring at defeat in the coming elections, he claimed.
The ED action betrays "panic and desperation" of the BJP, he charged.
"The BJP should not have the illusion that the AAP will be finished with the arrest of Kejriwal and other top leaders of the party like Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Satyendra Jain. Kejriwal embodies an ideology that carries forward honesty, public service and patriotism in his wake," Pandey said.
He said scores of people identifying with Kejriwal will come on the streets to retaliate against the BJP's arrogance.
