"Supporters of democracy are on day-long hunger strike": Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel

New Delhi [India], April 7 : As AAP leaders observed a day-long hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in protest against the arrest of party national convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the Delhi excise policy case on Sunday, Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel said the supporters of democracy all over the country are on hunger strike.
"The supporters of democracy all over the country and even the world are on a day-long hunger strike. This battle has now started against those who buy MLAs of the elected governments and bring down their governments. We can protect the Constitution of India. They wanted to break AAP, but we became stronger," Goel said.
Congress leader Sandeep Pathak said that today's hunger strike is limited to party office-bearers, but in the coming days, they will take up many campaigns along with the INDIA bloc.
"Today's call is for those who are supporters; they think that democracy is endangered. we appeal to them to keep fast in their own way. Today's event is limited to party office-bearers, however, in the coming days, we will take forward many campaigns along with the INDIA bloc," he said.
Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi alleged that the money trail in this liquor policy scam has been done from liquor trader Sharat Reddy to the BJP.
"People of Delhi love Arvind Kejriwal. They don't think of him as a CM but as their son, or brother. All want bail for Arvind Kejriwal. BJP's ED and CBI haven't been able to show a single penny of liquor scam from the leaders of AAP. If there is any money trail in this issue, it's from liquor trader Sharat Reddy to the BJP," the AAP leader said.
The AAP leader further questioned the central probe agency to reveal details regarding the action taken against leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in connection with alleged money laundering cases.
"Sharat Reddy donated Rs 55 crores to the BJP. Why has the BJP has not been raided, or accused, why has the BJP's National President not been summoned or arrested? ED, CBI act as political weapons of BJP", Atishi said.
Kejriwal, who was arrested by the ED on March 21, was sent to judicial custody until April 15 and is lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with a money-laundering case linked to a excise policy scam.
Kejriwal was arrested by the central agency on charges of corruption in relation to the case. It is the first time in independent India that a serving Chief Minister has been arrested. The move came after Kejriwal skipped multiple summons by the investigation agency, nine in total, calling them "illegal."
The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi excise policy 2022, which was later scrapped.
While Kejriwal was not named in the FIRs registered by the ED or the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Delhi excise policy case, his name first found a mention in the ED's chargesheet, wherein the agency claimed that he allegedly spoke to one of the main accused, Sameer Mahendru, in a video call and asked him to continue working with co-accused and AAP communications-in-charge Vijay Nair.
Nair was among the first people to be arrested by the CBI in the case, in 2022. Subsequently, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were arrested in connection with the case.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on April 2 granted bail to AAP MP Sanjay Singh, who was arrested on October 4, 2023, in a money laundering case related to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.