Ahmednagar(Maharashtra): In the aftermath of the apprehension of Delhi’s Chief Executive, Arvind Kejriwal, activist Anna Hazare voiced his dismay, attributing the detention of the AAP leader to his own actions. “I am profoundly disheartened by the trajectory of Arvind Kejriwal, once my comrade in advocating against alcohol, now shaping liquor policies. His detainment is the consequence of his own conduct,” conveyed Hazare on Friday.
The Enforcement Directorate took into custody Delhi’s Chief Executive, Arvind Kejriwal, concerning the Delhi excise strategy affair on Thursday evening, with two prominent AAP figures already held in judicial custody. Kejriwal had aligned himself with the Anna movement in 2011, protesting against alleged corruption within the Congress-led administration at the time. His subsequent foray into politics in 2012, establishing his own political faction and vying for the position of chief executive, elevated his prominence.
Further developments saw the Delhi Chief Executive retracting his plea from the Supreme Court contesting his apprehension by the Enforcement Directorate in relation to a money laundering investigation linked to the excise policy. This withdrawal ensued as it conflicted with his detention. Kejriwal’s detainment followed his evasion of nine summonses issued by the Enforcement Directorate and the Delhi High Court, the latter denying him reprieve from coercive measures by the investigative agency.
The case revolves around purported anomalies and money laundering associated with the formulation and execution of the Delhi excise strategy of 2022, subsequently annulled. In Lucknow, KP Maurya, Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, censured the Congress, a coalition partner of the AAP within the INDIA alliance, for rallying behind Arvind Kejriwal. He asserted, “Congress epitomizes corruption… The rhetoric espoused by their leader Rahul Gandhi will be scrutinized during the upcoming parliamentary elections… The populace regards corruption as their prerogative.”
“They persistently implicate federal agencies as if they are under the directive of the Prime Minister’s Office or the Home Ministry. These agencies maintain impartiality. Arvind Kejriwal received nine summonses yet he remains obstinate. Should the ED be in error, recourse through legal channels is appropriate…” articulated the BJP luminary. Kejriwal’s apprehension followed closely on the heels of the ED detaining K Kavitha, a leader of Bharat Rashta Samithi (BRS) and daughter of former Telangana premier K Chandrasekhar Rao, in connection with their probe into money laundering related to the now-repealed excise policy.
Previously, Manish Sisodia, then Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, faced arrest by the CBI on February 26 after prolonged interrogation. On October 5, Sanjay Singh, a Rajya Sabha representative, was apprehended by the ED. Kejriwal’s detention also precedes the upcoming parliamentary elections slated from April 19 to June 1, in accordance with the Electoral Commission’s timetable released earlier in the month.