Arvind Kejriwal Arrest Sparks Uproar: Accusations, Protests, and Legal Maneuvers Unfold in Political Turmoil

Arvind Kejriwal arrested in liquor bribery case

Renowned anti-corruption advocate Arvind Kejriwal found himself embroiled in controversy on Thursday following his detention by a federal investigative agency on charges of financial impropriety. The allegations leveled against him and his political outfit, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), centered on their purported acceptance of bribes from liquor contractors amounting to one billion rupees ($12 million) over two years ago.

The announcement of Kejriwal’s arrest was made by senior AAP member Atishi Singh, but it was swiftly met with vehement denials and accusations of fabrication. Singh asserted that the federal Enforcement Directorate, operating under the auspices of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, had concocted the charges.

Critics swiftly condemned the arrest as a threat to democracy, alleging it was a deliberate maneuver by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to undermine the opposition, particularly given the imminent general elections scheduled to begin on April 19. Sandeep Pathak, a prominent lawmaker from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), positioned the issue as extending beyond mere political rivalry, portraying it as a broader clash between the people of the nation and the BJP, underscoring its significance transcending partisan interests.

In response to Kejriwal’s arrest, the AAP promptly organized a nationwide protest slated for Friday, while also preparing to petition the Supreme Court to annul the arrest, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. Despite the legal turbulence, Atishi Singh affirmed that Kejriwal would continue to fulfill his duties as Delhi’s chief minister while the party vigorously contested the allegations.

The events leading to Kejriwal’s arrest unfolded dramatically, with televised scenes capturing police apprehending his supporters in buses while federal agents conducted the arrest following extensive questioning at Kejriwal’s residence in New Delhi.

One of the charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act alleges that 14 wholesale liquor distributors amassed an “excess profit” of 3.38 billion rupees ($41 million) during the operation of the now-defunct liquor policy two years ago. Government attorney S.V. Raju asserted that these liquor distributors subsequently paid 1 billion rupees ($12.1 million) in bribes to Arvind Kejriwal’s party and other ministers.

The arrest transpired shortly after Delhi’s High Court declined to provide any protection to the 55-year-old Kejriwal regarding the summons issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate, the primary federal agency for investigating economic offenses.

The agency had summoned Kejriwal for questioning on nine occasions in recent months. However, he evaded the summons each time, citing his preoccupation with political responsibilities, according to a government lawyer.

AAP is a crucial member of the INDIA coalition, a broad alliance of opposition parties poised to challenge Modi’s BJP in the upcoming national elections scheduled for April-June. Spearheaded by the Indian National Congress, which historically held significant political sway in the nation, this united front comprises more than two dozen influential regional parties.

Expressing concern over the arrest, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi characterized it as a move by a fearful autocrat aiming to stifle democracy, emphasizing the unsettling frequency of elected chief ministers facing arrest. Kejriwal’s detention represents another setback for the coalition, occurring on the heels of the government’s alleged efforts to cripple the Congress party by freezing its bank accounts amidst a tax dispute ahead of the national elections.

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The opposition has consistently asserted that it is being unfairly targeted in a manner that undermines India’s democratic principles. The Enforcement Directorate has initiated investigations into numerous prominent opposition figures, all of whom are political adversaries of the BJP. However, Modi’s party refutes accusations of manipulating law enforcement agencies to suppress opposition voices, maintaining that these agencies operate independently.

Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party suffered defeats in both the Delhi state elections, where Kejriwal’s party emerged victorious, and in the northern Punjab state elections in 2022.
Kejriwal founded the Aam Aadmi Party in 2012, leading it to victory in the Delhi state legislature election a year later, subsequently assuming the role of chief minister. A former civil servant, Kejriwal campaigned on a platform dedicated to eradicating corruption and inefficiency from India’s political system and governance.

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People in Delhi who were fed up with high inflation and slow economic progress found solace in the party’s promise to rid the administration of corruption and its emblem, a broom. But only 49 days later, Kejriwal quit as chief minister over his minority government’s incapacity to enact an anti-corruption bill without the backing of other major parties. In 2015, after his party won an astounding 67 of the 70 seats in the state elections, Kejriwal took back the chief ministership for a second term in a row.

Then, in the 2020 elections, his party held onto power in Delhi, and Kejriwal took the oath of office as chief minister for a record-breaking third term. Beyond Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party became victorious in the Punjab state elections of 2022 once again.

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