Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a recent interview that he was optimistic that Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's arrest in the alleged excise policy scam would not become a precedent for others to follow in Indian politics.
In a not-so-veiled attack at the jailed Delhi CM, the Prime Minister said he was sure that other politicians would not be lacking in morals. Arvind Kejriwal is currently in judicial custody till May 7 and continues to run the Delhi government from inside the Tihar jail premises.
"I am optimistic that this (Kejriwal continuing as CM from jail) will not become a precedent. I feel other politicians won't be so lacking in morals and will not go to this extent," the Prime Minister said in an interview with The Times of India.
On March 21, Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam. Kejriwal was later moved to Tihar jail and has been lodged there since.
Meanwhile, the Delhi CM told the Supreme Court in response to an affidavit filed by the ED that his arrest in the liquor policy case was a case of the Centre misusing the ED and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to crush its "biggest political opponent."
His counsel said that Kejriwal's arrest during the election season, when politics is at its peak, has led to "grave prejudice" to his political party and will provide the ruling BJP an "unjust upper hand" in the ongoing general elections. Kejriwal, through his lawyer, argued that his arrest presents an "unprecedented assault on the tenets of democracy" based on principles of "free and fair elections" and "federalism".
The ED mentioned in its affidavit that Kejriwal's arrest was necessary given the significant tampering of evidence, including destruction of around 170 mobile phones during the alleged liquor policy scam. The Delhi excise policy case is related to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Arvind Kejriwal government's excise policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped.