"ED has become a weapon of government": Congress leader KC Venugopal slams Kejriwal's arrest
Mar 22, 2024
New Delhi [India], March 22 : Congress leader KC Venugopal on Friday flayed the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, saying that the Election Commission has become a weapon of the government for vendetta politics against the opposition.
Speaking to ANI, the Congress leader said, "We are with Aam Aadmi Party and Kejriwal ji...ED has become a weapon of the government for vendetta politics against the opposition."
"They (BJP) know they can't win on their own, so they are doing vendetta politics against opposition leaders...This is a move to make India an autocratic country," Venugopal further said.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal withdrew from the Supreme Court his petition challenging arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at his residence in connection with the Delhi excise policy case linked to the money laundering case.
"Because (ED) remand is clashing, decided to withdraw it... will fight the remand and come back to your Lordships," senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.
Earlier, Aam Aadmi Party leaders, including Delhi Ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Atishi, were detained by the Delhi police during the party protest against the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The AAP held a protest at the ITO in the national capital against CM Kejriwal's arrest by ED in the excise policy case.
"I have been detained by Delhi Police while peacefully protesting at ITO. First these people arrest the Chief Minister of Delhi in a false case, and then the peaceful protesters are also being arrested. If this is not murder of democracy then what is it?" Atishi posted on X.
A team from the Enforcement Directorate reached Kejriwal's residence on Thursday to interrogate him regarding the liquor policy case. During a search operation conducted at his residence, Kejriwal was arrested amidst dramatic circumstances, as the AAP convener failed to obtain interim protection from arrest in the liquor policy case from the Delhi High Court.
