Amidst the commotion over Arvind Kejriwal’s apprehension, the AAP is priming for a nationwide demonstration, potentially culminating in a clash with the anti-BJP faction prior to the Lok Sabha elections. Gopal Rai, the convener of AAP’s Delhi unit, divulged his party’s intentions on Thursday.
Rai decried Kejriwal’s detainment as the “assassination of democracy” and an “overture to authoritarianism”. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) apprehended Kejriwal in connection to a money laundering case linked to excise policies on Thursday evening, escorting him to the agency’s headquarters in New Delhi, as per officials.
This unprecedented arrest, marking the first instance of a sitting chief minister being detained, transpired shortly after the Delhi High Court rebuffed any safeguarding measures for the AAP national convener against coercive actions by the federal agency. “I urge the populace to assemble outside BJP premises nationwide to denounce this authoritarianism. We will convene at the AAP headquarters at 10 am on Friday and subsequently stage a protest outside the BJP central office,” Rai, also a minister in the Delhi government, declared.
“If Kejriwal can be apprehended, anyone could face the same fate and their dissent silenced. The battle has been initiated as of today. Arvind Kejriwal epitomizes not merely an individual but an ideology,” he asserted. Rai alleged that ever since the inception of the INDIA coalition, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre harbors apprehensions about securing a formidable 400 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, being confined to a mere 40 seats instead.
Consequently, the saffron party is purportedly targeting opposition figures, he contended. “Today, they have transgressed all boundaries. Each of you shall return home tonight. I implore the residents of Delhi to join the fray,” the minister urged. At a late-night media briefing, Delhi ministers Atishi, Rai, and AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak lambasted the manner in which Kejriwal was detained.
Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj was also in attendance. Addressing the gathering, Pathak asserted, “This transcends beyond a mere tussle between the BJP and AAP. It is a conflict between the populace of the nation and the BJP. This extends beyond AAP’s struggle; it is a collective endeavor for fostering transparent politics in the nation.”
AAP leader Atishi revealed that Congress has pledged support from members of the INDIA coalition. She further remarked that Kejriwal’s battle would persist from the “streets to the courtroom”.
“The Supreme Court is slated to hear the case on Friday. This arrest is in defiance of the constitution. They have detained (former Jharkhand chief minister) Hemant Soren, Arvind Kejriwal, and frozen Congress’ accounts,” she stated. Earlier, Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely joined the AAP’s demonstration outside Kejriwal’s residence.
“They have arrested Hemant Soren, Arvind Kejriwal, frozen our accounts. What course is the nation’s democracy charting? We stand in solidarity with our INDIA coalition ally and shall contest the elections vigorously,” Lovely affirmed.
