"Devilish Power...systematic effort to subvert Indian democracy:" Opposition parties attack BJP over Kejriwal's arrest

New Delhi [India], March 22 : Hours after Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the excise policy case, opposition parties, including the grand old party, condemned the arrest of the leader, citing it as 'devilish power' and 'systematic effort to subvert Indian democracy'.
Reactions started pouring in soon after Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the ED.
Taking to social media, Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at the arrest of the Delhi Chief Minister and called it a 'devilish power.'
"A scared dictator wants to create a dead democracy. While capturing all the institutions, including the media, breaking up the parties, extorting money from companies, and freezing the accounts of the main opposition party were not enough for the 'devilish power', now the arrest of the elected Chief Ministers has also become a common thing. INDIA will give a befitting reply to this," posted Gandhi on X.
Congress MP Deepender Hooda also slammed the BJP over the arrest of Kejriwal and said that it was "unfortunate but not surprising."
"Misusing the central agencies for targeting most of the opposition leaders of the country by the BJP is not a new 'karyashaili' of the BJP. In the last few years, efforts have been made continuously to suppress the strong voices of opposition in the country. There is no party left among the opposition that is not in the BJP's crosshairs. I see it that way. It is unfortunate but not surprising," Hooda told ANI.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also reacted to the same and said that it was clear that a systematic effort was on to subvert Indian democracy during the general elections.
"Shocked by the news of the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Coming hard on the heels of the crippling freeze on @INCIndia's bank accounts, it is clear that a systematic effort is on to subvert Indian democracy during our general elections. If a model code of conduct exists to prevent the government from taking decisions that could favour the ruling party, why would a similar code not apply to government departments like IT and ED, whose actions are directly interfering with the functioning of democracy?" he posted.
AIADMK leader Kovai Sathyan said that the BJP is working on 3-point agenda to crush the Opposition ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
In a video message, Sathyan said, "Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's arrest proves that there is a 3 point agenda for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)."
"Agenda number 1, whoever is opposing the BJP, that party leader should contest from the jail, that is, from behind the bars. Agenda number 2, whoever is opposing the BJP will run out of funds, they cannot use the party funds. Agenda number 3, whoever is out on bail, the BJP will not have any hesitation to have an alliance with them, like they had with Mr Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra Pradesh," said the AIADMK leader.
"This 3-point agenda is what the BJP believes will give them a greater results in the upcoming elections," added Sathyan.
Adding to the opposition barbs over the arrest of the Delhi Chief Minister, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said the BJP was "scared of the opposition" and that the only way to victory for the BJP is to silence or arrest the opposition.
"With the political arrest of another sitting CM, Arvind Kejriwal, the BJP government, its Extended Department have made it clear that they aren't anywhere close to winning 400 seats. They are scared of the opposition, they know the only way to win is to either silence or arrest the opposition. It would be right to call this murder of democracy in India , not, India as the mother of democracy," posted Chaturvedi on X.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief MK Stalin also took to his social media handle X to react over the arrest of the Delhi CM and said that the "fascist BJP" government has sunk to despicable depths by arresting Arvind Kejriwal and that the relentless persecution of opposition leaders by the BJP government smacks of a desperate witch-hunt.
"Ahead of #Elections2024, driven by fear of a decade of failures and the imminent defeat, the fascist BJP government sinks to despicable depths by arresting Hon'ble Delhi CM @ArvindKejriwal, following the unjust targeting of @HemantSorenJMM. Not a single BJP leader faces scrutiny or arrest, laying bare their abuse of power and the decay of democracy," posted Stalin on X.
"The relentless persecution of opposition leaders by the BJP government smacks of a desperate witch hunt. This tyranny ignites public fury, unmasking BJP's true colours. But their futile arrests only fuel our resolve, fortifying the #INDIA alliance's march to victory," read the post by the DMK chief.
NCP-SCP leader and MP Supriya Sule also gave a reaction to the same and posted on X, "I stand in solidarity with Arvind Kejriwal. This is yet another politically motivated arrest by the ED at the behest of the BJP government to suppress the voice of the opposition and undermine the electorate at large. We are resilient and united in our fight for constitutional democracy."
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest "highly objectionable" and stated that the action is part of the effort to shut down the opposition voices at the stage of the election process and shows the cowardice of those who fear the democratic process."
Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla reacted to the arrest of the AAP leader and said that arrest of the Delhi Chief Minister should have every citizen of the country worried.
"The arrest of the honourable Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should have each and everyone of us, every citizen of this great country extremely worried. The Enforcement Directorate, or ED as it is known is acting like an arm of the BJP, or the Bajrang Dal. Following political instructions from the BJP rather than adhering to the constitution. We already have one CM, Hemant Soren in jail and now another CM is being arrested," he said.
"Just today the principal opposition party Congress in a press conference said that their account has been frozen, all this when the elections are around the corner....It is high time the ECI steps in and stops what going on, and I request the Supreme Court to step in and prevent this arbitrary behaviour by the law enforcing agencies like ED," added Poonawalla.
Meanwhile, AAP leader and Delhi Minister Atishi said they had moved the Supreme Court for quashing Kejriwal's arrest and had sought an urgent hearing.
Atishi had earlier said that Kejriwal would run the government from jail.
An Enforcement Directorate team arrived at Kejriwal's residence on Thursday for questioning in connection with the liquor policy case. The team conducted a search operation at his residence, the sources said.
The Enforcement Directorate team reached his residence for questioning hours after the Delhi High Court refused interim protection to Kejriwal from coercive action in connection with the excise policy case.
ED had issued repeated summons to the AAP supremo in the excise policy case and he had skipped them, pointing out that the probe agency had moved the court against him.
According to the ED, the agency wants to record Kejriwal's statement in the case on issues like the formulation of the now-scraped excise policy, meetings held before it was finalised, and allegations of bribery.
Two senior AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are in judicial custody in the excise policy case. Sisodia, who was the then Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, was arrested by the CBI on February 26 following several rounds of questioning. On October 5, ED arrested Sanjay Singh, who is a Rajya Sabha member.