AAP Condemns Kejriwal’s Arrest, Alleges Political Vendetta
New Delhi: Following the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the CBI, his wife, Sunita, on Wednesday accused the authorities of attempting to ensure her husband remains in jail, likening the situation to a “dictatorship” and an “emergency.”
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claimed that the BJP orchestrated Kejriwal’s arrest in a “fabricated case” by the CBI.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) formally arrested Kejriwal on Wednesday in connection with the Delhi excise policy case and sought five-day custody of the AAP national convener.
In a Hindi post on X, Sunita stated that her husband had been granted bail on June 20 in the excise policy-linked money laundering case, but the Enforcement Directorate (ED) immediately obtained a stay.
“The very next day, the CBI made him an accused, and today he was arrested. The entire system is trying to ensure he does not leave jail. This is not law; this is dictatorship, this is an emergency,” she said.
The AAP strongly condemned Kejriwal’s arrest.
“The dictator has crossed all limits of cruelty! Today, when there was every possibility of Chief Minister @ArvindKejriwal getting bail, the BJP panicked and had Kejriwal arrested by the CBI in a fake case.
“The CBI took Kejriwal ji to Rouse Avenue Court where his blood sugar level dropped significantly. Dictator, no matter how much oppression you inflict, Kejriwal will neither bow down nor break,” the AAP posted on X in Hindi.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh stated there could be no greater emergency than this.
“Magunta Reddy, whose statement led to Kejriwal’s arrest, had previously stated he had nothing to do with Kejriwal. He made his statement in January, yet the CBI acted to arrest Kejriwal in June.
“The arrest followed the trial court granting bail to Kejriwal, which required Supreme Court approval. Only then did they remember to arrest him,” Singh told reporters outside the Rouse Avenue court.
“When the Supreme Court is involved, the CBI moved to arrest him in a false case. This is an unprecedented emergency,” he added.
Singh accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP of engaging in a “dirty game,” asserting that the public is aware of the situation.
“Kejriwal is a chief minister, not a terrorist or criminal. Four charge sheets were filed by the CBI with no mention of Kejriwal. When do they remember him? When he is about to be released. The whole country is aware of what is happening,” Singh said.
“I want to tell the prime minister and the BJP that you have imposed an emergency. You can shoot us in public; the whole country is watching your dirty game,” he stated.
Singh also addressed claims by some news channels that Kejriwal blamed his former deputy, Manish Sisodia.
“Our lawyers and Kejriwal opposed this in court. The judge read Kejriwal’s statement and confirmed he did not say anything like this,” he added.
At a press conference, senior AAP leader Jasmine Shah alleged efforts were being made to tarnish the party’s image.
“Since the beginning, we have been saying that the ED and the CBI are being used to create sensationalism in the media and tarnish the image of AAP, Kejriwal, and other leaders,” he said.
On the Delhi court reserving its order on the CBI’s request for Kejriwal’s custody, Shah said, “We are awaiting the order. The entire case is fabricated.”
Kejriwal has been imprisoned since April 1 in connection with the excise policy-linked money laundering case being investigated by the ED.
On May 10, the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal interim bail for 21 days to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. He returned to prison on June 2.
The Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 was withdrawn by the Kejriwal government in July 2022 after Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in its formulation and implementation.
