"This fight will continue...": Delhi Minister Gopal Rai hits out at BJP over Kejriwal's arrest
Mar 26, 2024
New Delhi [India], March 26 : Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Minister Gopal Rai hit out at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government on Tuesday and said that there is a lot of anger among the people of Delhi over the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal by the "dictatorial government".
The AAP leader alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party was hiding behind the police, adding that he posed another question, "Under one allegation, Arvind Kejriwal was jailed and Sarath Reddy was bailed. What is this, Khel?" Rai said.
Speaking to ANI, Gopal Rai said, "The manner in which the dictatorial government arrested the elected Chief Minister of Delhi, the people of Delhi are angry and are protesting against it. It has been known to the BJP leaders from day one that there is a lot of anger among the people and that they are coming out on the streets in protest."
"Since day one, BJP leaders and central government ministers have been hiding behind the police. Has anyone come forward to answer that, upon one allegation, Arvind Kejriwal was jailed while Sarath Reddy was bailed? What is this game? The people of Delhi want the answer to this question," said Rai.
Adding further, Rai said, "BJP doesn't want to answer this question. We (AAP) think that the people of Delhi are fighting against this Arvind Kejriwal arrest and the 'dictatorial government'".
"This fight will continue. Unless Prime Minister Modi answers how, under the same allegation, Arvind Kejriwal received jail and Sarath Reddy was granted bail, these protests will continue," he added.
P Sarath Chandra Reddy was the director of Aurobindo Pharma when he was arrested on November 10, 2022, in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case.
The Delhi High Court later, in May 2023, granted bail to businessman P Sarath Chandra Reddy on medical grounds in a money laundering case related to the Delhi government's alleged excise scam.
Earlier on Monday, referring to the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Gopal Rai alleged that fake cases were being registered against people who were not ready to be sold.
He alleged that this was not just about Arvind Kejriwal but an attempt to wipe out the entire opposition.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in connection with the now-scrapped excise policy case.
The case pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in formulating and executing the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped.
AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are in judicial custody in the case.
Kejriwal's name has been mentioned multiple times in the chargesheets filed by the ED.
The agency has alleged that the accused were in touch with Kejriwal to formulate the excise policy that resulted in undue benefits to them in return for which they allegedly paid kickbacks to the party.