Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal arrested in Delhi excise policy case

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by a team of the Enforcement Directorate for his involvement with the Delhi excise policy case. Earlier this evening, a team of ED has reached at Kejriwal's residence in North Delhi's Civil Lines.

This comes after Delhi HC refused to grant CM Arvind Kejriwal protection from coercive action in excise policy case today. After hearing CM Arvind Kejriwal’s application for interim relief for ‘no coercive steps’ against him by the ED in the excise policy case, a division bench of the Delhi HC said, “At this stage we are not inclined to pass such an order”.

With this, Kejriwal is the first sitting Chief Minister to be arrested. Following his arrest, AAP demanded an immediate Supreme Court hearing. The Aam Aadmi Party moved the SC to quash the arrest. The party has sought an urgent hearing by the Supreme Court tonight itself.

Delhi minister Atishi said: "We have received news that ED has arrested Arvind Kejriwal... We have always said that Arvind Kejriwal will run the govt from jail. He will remain the CM of Delhi. We have filed a case in the Supreme Court. Our lawyers are reaching SC."

 

Aam Aadmi Party leaders alleged that it was part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) attempts to get the Delhi chief minister arrested ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said the ED was conducting searches at Kejriwal’s residence and that they were unable to contact the chief minister or his secretary. “We are assuming the ED team has confiscated their phones,” he said.

Following Kejriwal's arrest, Delhi Minister Imran Hussain says, "It's very unfortunate. It's a conspiracy to stop the AAP and Arvind Kejriwal. People of Delhi love Arvind Kejriwal and they'll respond to the BJP."

Reacting to Kejriwal's arrest, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadera said: "Targeting Delhi Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal in this manner due to elections is completely wrong and unconstitutional. Lowering the level of politics in this manner suits neither the Prime Minister nor his government."