"Truth had to prevail...people welcoming his arrest": BJP leaders on ED action against Kejriwal

New Delhi [India], March 21 : BJP leaders on Thursday supported the ED action to arrest Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi excise policy case and said "truth had to prevail".
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said Arvind Kejriwal has been continuously making excuses in the liquor policy scam since 2020-21 "and the kind of political theatrics he was doing has been put to an end today".
"Today, finally, the truth triumphed and I believe that the conspiracy hatched by Arvind Kejriwal and his government to push the youth into alcoholism was bound to result in this. The truth had to prevail and Arvind Kejriwal had to be punished for his sins," Sachdeva said.
West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar said that BRS leader K Kavitha's arrest in the excise policy case was an indication that a big arrest will be made in the coming days.
"In the excise policy case, a few days ago, BRS leader K. Kavitha was also arrested. This was an indication that a big arrest will be made in this case in the coming days. It was natural that the last string of this case had to reach Arvind Kejriwal. Former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia has also been arrested in this case. His arrest was just a matter of time," Majumdar said.

Calling Kejriwal "blatantly dishonest," BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia said that the people of India are welcoming his arrest.
"The people of India and especially the people of Delhi, are welcoming the arrest of the blatantly dishonest Arvind Kejriwal. It has become clear that Arvind Kejriwal is the kingpin of the liquor scam," he said.
AAP leader and Delhi Minister Atishi said they had moved the Supreme Court for quashing Kejriwal's arrest and have sought an urgent hearing.
"We have moved the Supreme Court for quashing the arrest of Delhi CM @ArvindKejriwal by ED. We have asked for an urgent hearing by the Supreme Court tonight itself," Atishi said in a post on X.
She had earlier said that Kejriwal will run the government from jail.
"We have received news that ED has arrested Arvind Kejriwal... We have always said that Arvind Kejriwal will run the govt from jail. He will remain the CM of Delhi. We have filed a case in the Supreme Court. Our lawyers are reaching SC. We will demand SC have an urgent hearing tonight," she said.
In a dramatic turn of events, barely hours after the high court refused to grant the AAP chief protection from coercive action in connection with the excise policy case, a team from the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) arrived at Kejriwal's residence for questioning. The team conducted a search operation at his residence, the sources said.

AAP workers staged a protest outside Kejriwal's residence over ED action.

Denying him interim protection from arrest in the liquor policy case, the Delhi HC ruled that, in this state, it was not inclined to do so.
The court passed down the directive during the hearing on a plea by the AAP supremo, urging coercive action against him 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 now scrapped excise policy, meetings held before it was finalized, 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.