GUWAHATI: Amidst escalating tensions following the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday evening, several members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) found themselves in the clutches of the Assam police in Dibrugarh district on Friday.
The detention unfolded as AAP’s Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency candidate, Manoj Dhanowar, along with the party’s Assam president, Bhaben Choudhary, led a demonstration outside the local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office on March 22.
Their protest aimed to denounce Kejriwal’s arrest, which they labelled as a politically motivated move.
Rajesh Sharma, AAP Northeast in-charge, echoed the sentiment, branding Kejriwal’s arrest as a sham orchestrated by political adversaries.
The chain of events followed AAP’s Delhi unit convenor, Gopal Rai’s announcement of a nationwide protest against the BJP following Kejriwal’s arrest on Thursday night.
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This unprecedented development marked the first instance of a sitting chief minister being apprehended by the ED.
Kejriwal’s arrest stems from his alleged involvement in a money-laundering case linked to Delhi’s excise policy, a charge vehemently contested by the AAP leadership.
Meanwhile, despite initial legal manoeuvres, including a petition filed by Kejriwal in the Supreme Court, seeking protection from the ED’s actions, the Delhi Chief Minister eventually withdrew his plea.
Senior advocate Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, opted to retract the petition, indicating an intention to contest the remand through other legal avenues.
The situation underscores the tense political climate surrounding Kejriwal’s arrest, with opposition parties like the AAP vehemently opposing what they perceive as politically motivated actions by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
His arrest by the ED followed the rejection of his plea for interim protection by the Delhi High Court, which also raised questions regarding his failure to seek anticipatory bail from the lower court earlier.
Notably, Kejriwal had previously disregarded nine summonses from the ED, contesting their legality and citing ambiguity regarding his involvement in the probe.
