New Delhi: Minutes after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday, Congress dubbed the action as "the murder of democracy". The Congress said if the AAP leader breaks the alliance with the INDIA bloc and joins the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), all summons will be recalled. Reacting to the situation outside Kejriwal's house before his arrest, Congress leader Udit Raj said the security forces surrounded his house in such a way as if they came to arrest any "dacoit" or the war enemy.
"Arvind Kejriwal's house has been surrounded by security forces as if they are there to arrest any dacoit or the war is on with an enemy country. This is the murder of democracy. If Arvind Kejriwal ends his alliance with Congress and goes with the BJP, all summons will be recalled...If freedom of expression is suppressed, it is not just the AAP or Congress, all will have to suffer...," said Raj.
The same has been also echoed by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi who said it does not suit Prime Minister Narendra Modi the politics he is doing before the Lok Sabha elections. She said that targeting the Delhi Chief Minister a month before the elections was completely "wrong" and "unconstitutional" and added lowering the level of politics in this manner neither suit Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor his government.
"Fight your critics in the electoral battle, confront them boldly": Priyanka
"Fight your critics in the electoral battle, confront them boldly, and of course attack their policies and working style - this is democracy. But in this way, using the power of all the institutions of the country to fulfil one's political objective and weakening them by exerting pressure is against every principle of democracy," she said.
"The bank accounts of the country's largest opposition party Congress have been frozen, all the political parties and their leaders are under pressure day and night from ED, CBI, and IT, one Chief Minister has been put in jail, and now the other Chief Minister is also in jail. Preparations are being made to take it. Such a shameful scene is being seen for the first time in the independent history of India," added Gandhi.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal arrested
Notably, Kejriwal was arrested by the ED in an excise policy-linked money laundering case. The arrest, the first of a sitting chief minister, came hours after the Delhi High Court refused to grant protection to the AAP national convenor from any coercive action by the agency.
Notably, Kejriwal was arrested by the ED in an excise policy-linked money laundering case. The arrest, the first of a sitting chief minister, came hours after the Delhi High Court refused to grant protection to the AAP national convenor from any coercive action by the agency.
This is a developing story. More details will be added.
