"AAP leaders to observe 'Samuhik Upwas' on April 7 against Arvind Kejriwal's arrest": Gopal Rai

New Delhi [India], April 3 : Delhi minister and AAP leader Gopal Rai announced on Wednesday that the Aam Aadmi Party will observe a 'Samuhik Upwas' (community fasting) to protest against the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal at Jantar Mantar on April 7.
Kejriwal was sent to judicial custody until April 15 and is lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with a money-laundering case linked to a liquor excise policy scam.
"All AAP ministers, MLAs, MPs and party leaders will observe a 'Samuhik Upwas' at Jantar Mantar on April 7 to protest against the arrest of CM Arvind Kejriwal," Gopal Rai said while addressing a press conference in the national capital.
Rai also appealed to the people to be a part of the 'Samuhik Upwas'.
"We also appeal to people that all those who are against the arrest of CM Arvind Kejriwal and want to save democracy and love this country can also do' Samuhik Upwas' at their homes, villages, and blocks," he said.
Speaking about the Supreme Court's judgement granting bail to AAP MP Sanjay Singh, Rai said that with the bail of Singh, it is clear that the allegations made against the leaders of the AAP are baseless.
"One thing has become clear since yesterday that the allegations were made without any evidence. Without any basis, our leaders were arrested. Yesterday, all this truth came to light in the Supreme Court. This is the loss of the BJP's conspiracy and dictatorship," he said.
Hitting out at the BJP-led central government, the AAP leader said, "For the last two years, they (the BJP) have been shouting that bail has not been granted because we're dishonest. And now that the bail has been granted, they are claiming that the ED is unbiased. Don't you feel ashamed?"
The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to AAP leader Sanjay Singh in a money laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy irregularities case. The court order came after the ED chose not to oppose Sanjay Singh's bail plea.
After Singh was granted bail on Tuesday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) welcomed the court's decision, terming it a "victory of truth and justice." The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, hit back at the AAP, claiming that the bail order exposed the party's repeated accusations of "political vendetta" by central agencies.
The Enforcement Directorate informed the SC that the agency has no objection to Sanjay Singh getting bail. The ED response came after the court sought to know from the investigating agency whether it needed further custody of AAP leader Sanjay Singh in the excise policy case.
Sanjay Singh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on October 4, 2023, in the case.
The case arose out of a report submitted by Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena in July 2022, pointing to alleged procedural lapses in the formulation of the policy.