Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal arrested in liquor case:
On Thursday, India’s financial crime agency apprehended Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, over allegations of corruption linked to the city’s liquor policy, as reported by his party. This development marks a setback for the opposition as elections approach. With this arrest, the principal figures of the decade-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) find themselves incarcerated, following the apprehension of two of Kejriwal’s deputies last year in connection with the same case, which the party has denounced as “dirty politics”.
Allegations have been levied against Kejriwal and the AAP, suggesting they favored specific alcohol dealers and utilized illicit funds to support an election campaign tied to the implementation of a now-defunct liquor policy. While the Chief Minister refutes these claims, his party contends that his arrest is part of a “significant conspiracy”.
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In a related development, two additional AAP leaders have previously faced arrest in the same case. Kejriwal has consistently accused Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of wielding federal agencies to target the opposition. As Kejriwal was escorted away by officers from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), AAP supporters staged protests outside his residence on Thursday, chanting slogans and obstructing roads in the demonstration against the action.
According to local media reports, Kejriwal is expected to appear before a court on Friday, where the charges against him will be officially disclosed. There has been no immediate comment from the directorate regarding this matter.
Kejriwal had been summoned by the ED on nine occasions for questioning, all of which he did not respond to. He cited apprehensions of being arrested if he were to comply with the summons. Additionally, he sought protection from arrest through legal avenues, emphasizing that his party would suffer electoral setbacks if he were to be detained.
