“Murder of democracy,” Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on arrest of Arvind Kejriwal

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], March 23 (ANI): Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday termed the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal as a “murder of democracy” and said that the probe agency had taken action against the Delhi Chief Minister without any “proof”.

“The way sitting CMs have been arrested, this is the murder of democracy. These people had been elected by the people. Have they committed a murder or a serious crime? Were they running away somewhere or influencing people?” Gehlot said.

“Without any proof, purely based on someone’s statements, they have taken action. Now people are wondering whether elections will be held or not,” the Congress leader said.

Meanwhile, Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra said that the action against the Delhi Chief Minister was in accordance with law.

“It’s not the central government who has arrested Arvind Kejriwal. The law has taken its course. Whatever action has been taken is as per the law. So, it’s not the BJP’s stand. Nobody will arrest any leader unnecessarily,” Vijayendra said.

Kejriwal’s arrest by the central agency has drawn severe criticism for the BJP-led centre from the opposition leaders.

The Goa Congress strongly condemned Kejriwal’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the alleged excise policy scam and termed it as “murder of democracy.”

Goa Leader of Opposition and Congress legislator Yuri Alemao questioned the timing of the arrest of Delhi CM and alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allied partners, the NDA, ED, CBI and IT, are all working together to “silence” the voice of opposition.

Congress MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira termed it a “black day and an assault on India’s democracy.”

Kejriwal was on Friday remanded to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate till March 28, a day after he was arrested by the probe agency in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case linked to a money laundering case.

Special CBI judge Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Court passed the order after Kejriwal was produced following his arrest on March 21 by the central probe agency.

The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi excise policy case 2022, which was later scrapped.

The AAP will “gherao” the prime minister’s residence on March 26 to register its protest against Kejriwal’s arrest by the ED, the party’s leader Gopal Rai said on Friday.

The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi excise policy case 2022, which was later scrapped.

Two senior AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are in judicial custody in the excise policy case. Sisodia, who was the then Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023 following several rounds of questioning. On October 5, last year the ED arrested Sanjay Singh, who is a Rajya Sabha member.

Kejriwal’s arrest came days after the ED arrested Bharat Rashta Samithi (BRS) leader and daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao K Kavitha, in connection with its investigation into money laundering charges linked to the now-scrapped excise policy. Kavitha has been sent to ED custody till March 23.