• Arvind Kejriwal arrest: SC likely to hear bail plea, AAP to hold nationwide protest

    National
    Arvind Kejriwal arrest: SC likely to hear bail plea, AAP to hold nationwide protest
    They claim the arrest aims to disrupt Kejriwal's campaign efforts for the upcoming general elections...

    Digital Desk: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's legal team brought his petition, challenging his arrest, to the attention of the Supreme Court registrar late on Thursday. No special bench was set up, signaling a standard procedure, with his plea anticipated to be heard on Friday.

    According to lawyers involved in drafting the petition, it alleges a series of malicious actions by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), purportedly at the behest of the BJP-led central government. These actions include summonses to Kejriwal without a clear purpose, suggesting harassment rather than legitimate inquiry.

    The legal team plans to highlight the potential prejudice Kejriwal's arrest could cause to AAP, arguing that it stems from the BJP's apprehension over AAP's burgeoning influence nationally. They claim the arrest aims to disrupt Kejriwal's campaign efforts for the upcoming general elections starting April 19.

    In response, AAP's Delhi unit convenor, Gopal Rai, condemned the arrest, labeling it as a "murder of democracy" and an "announcement of dictatorship." Rai called for nationwide protests against the BJP in light of Kejriwal's arrest.

    The ED apprehended Kejriwal in connection with a money-laundering case linked to excise policies, marking the first arrest of a sitting chief minister. This came after the Delhi High Court denied Kejriwal protection from coercive actions by the federal agency earlier in the day.

    Kejriwal's legal battle against his arrest underscores the intensifying political tensions between AAP and the ruling BJP, setting the stage for a contentious legal and political showdown in the days ahead.