New Delhi: Following the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi Assembly has cancelled the sitting scheduled for Friday. The assembly will now meet at 11 am on March 27. Kejriwal, the AAP National Convener was arrested on Thursday evening in a money laundering case related to an alleged liquor policy scam.
"Hon'ble members are hereby informed that the Hon'ble Speaker has directed the sitting of the House scheduled for today i.e. 22 March 2024 stands cancelled," the Deputy Secretary stated." Further in pursuance of sub-rule (1) of Rule-17 (Adjournment of the House and procedure for reconvening) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Legislative Assembly of National Capital Territory of Delhi," the Hon'ble Speaker has determined that the next sitting of the House shall be held on 27 March 2024 at 11 am," it stated.
Kejriwal will be produced before a special court today. A team from the Enforcement Directorate reached Kejriwal's residence on Thursday to interrogate him regarding the liquor policy case. During a search operation conducted at his residence, Kejriwal was arrested amidst dramatic circumstances, as the AAP convener failed to obtain interim protection from arrest in the liquor policy case from the Delhi High Court.
Workers of the Aam Aadmi Party held a nationwide protest. DMK MP Dayanidhi Maaran and Tamil Nadu Minister Sekar Babu protested in Chennai Central against the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal by Enforcement Directorate officials. Earlier, AAP leaders stated that it was a desperate move by the BJP to silence the opposition's voice ahead of the elections.
"They did not have any questions for the Delhi CM. Because elections are around the corner, the BJP is scared, it is nervous. and a strong voice of the opposition, who would question the Prime Minister, just to shut that voice, the Chief Minister of Delhi has been arrested," AAP Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said. Terming the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister as the BJP's "political conspiracy," Aam Aadmi Party leader Atishi said that it is the first time that a sitting CM has been arrested by the Central government.
"It is the first time that a sitting CM has been arrested by the central government. Even the Jharkhand Chief Minister resigned before his arrest. In the country's history, it is the first time that after the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections, the national convenor of a national party has been arrested. Arvind Kejriwal's arrest is the BJP's political conspiracy," Atishi said while addressing a press conference.
AAP workers and leaders rallied behind Kejriwal following his arrest, while leaders of the INDIA bloc also extended their support for the AAP leader. BJP leaders extended their support to the ED's actions against the Delhi Chief Minister, emphasising that "truth had to prevail." However, the BJP has criticised the AAP, claiming that the Delhi Chief Minister was paying for allegedly indulging in corruption.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonwalla said, "AAP leaders are saying that Arvind Kejriwal is not a human, but an ideology... The ideology is that he will be corrupt and when the court takes action, he will call it an atrocity... And play the victim card... I want to ask them, is the court finishing the democracy?... The SC rejected Manish Sisodia's bail. The SC said that there is a money trail of Rs. 338 crore. Sanjay Singh's bail was rejected by the HC. If your teammates have been in jail for more than a year now, has the BJP done it or the Courts have done it?.. Your BFF Congress found you drowned in the Liquor scam..."
The INDIA bloc parties have come out in support of Kejriwal and criticised the BJP for using ED as a weapon against the opposition. 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, a Rajya Sabha member.
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